Children of the Force (Obi-WanOC Fanfiction)
by Captain Kenobi
Summary: Before the times of the Clone Wars, the Jedi were no Generals. Rose, a thief with nothing more to her name than the clothes she wears on her back, is found to be a force-sensitive child. With the help of a few friends along the way, Rose may soon discover what it truly means to be a Jedi Master. Book one of the "Of the Force" series.
1. Chapter 1: Beginnings

"How much longer, boss?" a voice called out behind Rose. She turned and looked at the green Twi'lek, his eyes empty of fear for the upcoming job.

"We're almost there," Rose mumbled back. "We can't screw up this time." Rose pushed herself past the green boy, his eyes following her movements. She grabbed the blaster off of the nearby crate, setting it to stun. Her mission was simple: steal the lightsaber off of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. She heard the com link on her arm go off.

"What is it?" she snapped as the holographic image of a hooded figure came into view.

"We're reaching the rendezvous point, boss," a Togruta responded.

"Good work, Kator. Now the real fun can begin," a dark smile crept its way onto the face of the young thief. She shut the com link off, turning towards the Twi'lek.

"Hey, lasterbrain, get your stuff together," she ordered to Coab as the ship came to a steady halt. She threw a dark poncho over her figure, concealing her face. "There's no way in Malachor we can lose out on this job."

The two of them jumped off the ship, Coab following Rose. They had stopped in a landing dock that was deep below the surface of Coruscant, waiting for the Jedi Master to make his grand appearance. They had caught wind that he was heading to the lower floors in search of a lead on the illegal spice trade, and someone was paying them large money to take his lightsaber. Coab had tried to convince her to take the bounty on his head, but Rose wasn't about to press her luck. Creeping behind the crates on the landing dock, the two crept along the outskirts, searching for the Jedi's ship. He was set to arrive at any moment.

"Oi, boss, got a visual?" the voice of Kator sounded once again, this time with impatience.

"Not yet," Rose said. "Wait, I think I see something coming." She silenced her com, not wanting to be further distracted. A transport ship was landing on the platform – one that would have hardly warranted suspicion to any normal citizen. Rose felt the strong presence of the Force nearing them. She knew this was the Jedi they were looking for.

"Get ready, Coab," she whispered as the ship touched down, the ramp extending downwards. A lone, cloaked man emerged, his eyes set on the task at hand. "Now." The two snuck on either side of him, cutting off his chances of escape.

"If you two wish to surprise me, you'll have to do a lot better than that. I could sense you from floor 3132," the Jedi said calmly, drawing his saber and turning to face them. Rose was mesmerized by the elegant weapon – its soft green glow filling the area around them with light. "My, aren't you a different one," he said, his eyes narrowing on Rose.

"Jedi," she said with a hint of venom in her voice. She held the blaster up in the air, pointed at Qui-Gon.

"I'm afraid I don't have time for that kind of buisness, child. Now, run along and rethink your choices," he said, a little more sternly. Rose could feel Coab losing his patience next to her. She gave him a look, and the two of them charged at the Jedi. He easily knocked Coab back with the Force, but Rose managed to get through, using her small size and quick feet to her advantage. She had the gun in her hands, firing stun shots in the direction of the Jedi. He deflected them with his saber easily.

"What is your name, child?" he said coolly, not losing his focus on the attacks once. Rose only gritted her teeth in frustration. She knew he wouldn't try to kill her – it wasn't the Jedi way – and she was going to use that to her advantage. She dropped her gun and charged directly at him, stunning him a little. He quickly unsheathed his saber and prepared for the frontal attack. She swung her fists wildly in his direction.

But he had the upper hand.

Qui-Gon struck the young girl down, but not before working up a sweat of his own. He had not expected her to come at him head-first, nor that she would have been that gifted at fighting. When she tried to get up, he held her down. Rose looked over at Coab, his unconscious figure lying on the ground next to her.

"I'm going to ask again, child," the Jedi said. "What is your name?"

"Rose," she coughed out, the Jedi still pinning her down on the ground. It was growing more difficult for her to breathe, and she slowly felt the world around her go fuzzy. "It was just a job. Now let go of me, you nerfherder.

"Why, it appears I've made someone upset," the Jedi laughed, loosening his grip on the girl. She squirmed out from under him, turning to face him. Her loose blond hair was clinging to her neck and back. She looked down at her partner – her friend. He was a few years younger than her, and yet he still towered over her mere nine-year-old self. She was always the shortest one, but she was the quickest on her feet and mind.

"Your friend will be fine," Qui-Gon reassured her.

"You going to kill us?" Rose asked, concern for her friend evident in her voice. She stepped between the Jedi and Coab, not wanting the Jedi to get any closer. He only laughed.

"Of course not, child," he said.

"Rose," she corrected him sternly, unclenching her fists. She saw no malice in the Jedi's eyes; there was no revenge for their attack on them. Realizing they were in over their heads, she reached down and picked up her friend, supporting one of his arms over her shoulder. Rose began walking away, slightly surprised when the Jedi stopped her.

"Ever find yourself capable of things you cannot explain?" he asked her firmly. He saw the hesitation flash across her face briefly, her tired features contemplating on how much she should reveal.

"You're crazy, old man," she said at last, turning and walking way, Coab's body dragging her down.

"How would you like a meal?" he offered, calling after them. Rose stopped. Her stomach had been non-stop growling since they had begun this excursion, and she knew Coab and Kator were in the same situation as her. She put a hand on her stomach, feeling the hungry tremors that erupted from it.

"You're kidding, right?" she said, amusement flashing on her face. "We just tried to attack you, and now you're offering us a meal." The Jedi laughed again.

"Why, it does sound quite ridiculous now that you've put it that way, doesn't it? How about this: you put down your friend there on your ship, and you come with me to deduce this spice trade business that I know you already know about. If you help me uncover some clues, then you and your friend shall be well fed," the Jedi held out his hand to Rose. She looked at it for a moment and then down at her friend.

"What the hell," she said, shaking the hand. "The saber wasn't worth that many credits, anyway." Rose did as she was told, leaving Coab on the ship with a confused Kator.

"Boss, how do we know he isn't doin' that weird Jedi-mind-trick-thingy on ya?" he asked as he began his scanning of Coab's body.

"Because I know better," she snapped back. "Besides, the Jedi are those peace-loving hippies. I don't know why they are involved in the spice trade, but I don't really care. We have a free meal chance. That'll at least get us through the trip back home."

Kator could only nod his head in agreement, trusting his friend. Rose gave a pat on his shoulder in encouragement and hopped out of the ship.

"Ready?" the Jedi asked. Rose nodded. The two of them proceeded into the depths of the lower floors, heading to the local cantina. Rose had offered that it was a good place to start. Everyone knew if you wanted to find a low life, you looked at the cantina first.

"Those markings on your arms – are you a Varian?" Qui-Gon began. His questions had been non-stop since they had left the ship. Hoping to quiet him, Rose only nodded, but it had the opposite effect she had had hoped for. He only began to ask her more and more questions.

"You're quite far away from your home world," he thought out loud. "Most of your people don't even leave the planet, save for the diplomats and senators."

"I didn't leave by choice," she mumbled. They continued through the ally way, Rose grateful her face was concealed by her cloak. She felt her anger boil to the surface. "None of us did. We were taken by the Shadow Dwellers."

"Ah, yes, I've heard of them. They're a thieves' guild, are they not?" Rose nodded. They neared the cantina, its neon sign glowing faintly. There was a bouncer outside of the door.

"You will let us in," the Jedi moved his arm across the bouncer's face, his eyes glazing over for a moment.

"I will let you in," the bouncer echoed, stepping inside. Rose followed the Jedi in, careful to not bump into the bouncer.

"How does that work?" she inquired as they entered the noisy bar. The band was playing loudly in the back, drowning out the conversations around them.

"It only works on the weak minded," Qui-Gon explained. "They are easily influenced."

"Thanks for explaining that one," Rose mumbled back sarcastically. They made their way over to the bar, the bartender taking one look at them before holding up his hand.

"We don' serve kids 'ere," he growled. Rose shot him a dirty look.

"You'll make an exception tonight," the Jedi next to her said. The bartender snorted and turned away, serving other customers.

"Alright, I need you to do a little bit of reconnaissance," the Jedi started. "See that man in the corner? The one talking to the woman? Go sit in the booth behind them and eavesdrop on what they are saying. See if they mention something about the spices." Rose did as she was instructed and slyly snuck over to the booth adjacent to the man the Jedi was talking about. She slunk into the seat and preoccupied herself with a piece of trash on the table.

"The shipments'll come in after three rotations," she heard the people behind her say. "Down at the docks by the Blue Asteroid."

"I do not wish for my spices to be… disturbed again," a woman's voice said slowly. Rose slunk down farther into the booth, wishing she could disappear.

"It won't happen this time. The Jedi don' have a clue to what's goin' on," the man said quickly, knocking something over in the process. Whatever it was, it spilled under the booth, soaking Rose's shoes in the sticky substance and causing her to emit a small screech of disgust. Qui-Gon appeared at her booth, and Rose saw the two strangers leave their own, sending him dirty looks. He laughed when he saw Rose's pouting face.

"Hear anything of use?" he inquired, ignoring her looks of disgust.

"Three days," she said, wringing out her shoes. "They're dropping them off at that bar – the Blue Asteroid." The Jedi seemed pleased with her work.

"You could have done that yourself, Jedi."

"You saw how they walked away when I approached the table. You already know the answer to your own curiosities," the Jedi said, stroking his beard. "Now, we eat," the Jedi moved up from the booth they were at and motioned for the girl to follow him. He made sure to throw a tip at the bartender as they left the scene, earning good favors with the local under dwellers.

"What about my friends?" Rose asked, jogging slightly to keep up with the Jedi's stride.

"We shall go fetch them," he replied, his eyes locked on the pathway ahead of them. Rose felt something; something wasn't right about the streets ahead of them. They were too quiet. She looked up at the Jedi she was walking beside. His face betrayed no emotion, but Rose could feel something was wrong. A figure emerged from the clouded alleyway, his silhouette all that was visible. The Jedi stopped next to her. He put a hand up to stop Rose and gently pushed her behind him, blocking her view slightly of the approaching figure.

"Well, look what the mooka drug in," the mystery figure said, stopping only a few meters away from the duo. Rose froze. She knew that voice.

"I told you to get the lightsaber, not partner with him, you harpy," the figure hissed at Rose, who only hid behind the robes of Qui-Gon. The Jedi put a reassuring hand on her head. "Made a friend, I see? Well, guess you won't be needing these ones." The man threw a bag at Qui-Gon's feet, a foul stench emitting from it.

"Hide your eyes, child," he whispered to Rose. She ignored him, bending down at the bag at their feet. Undoing the string clasp, she saw the heads of her two friends. Coab's tongue was lazily rolled out of his mouth. Rose felt a surge of mortification as she stared into the dead, glazed over eyes that had lost all of the life and luster they used to. She felt her stomach wretch, but nothing came out. There was nothing that could come out. She closed the bag quietly, standing up from her spot. She felt anger surging throughout her very core. Qui-Gon took the bag from her, moving it out of the way. The time for mourning her friends was not now.

"Cobaya wolei, mah pateessa," she uttered softly as she turned her gaze back towards the mystery figure.

"I believe it goes without saying, my child, but you are no longer under our favor," he said, taking another step towards them. "This is the third mission you've failed to pull through on. It is unacceptable. Your head now, if you please." The sly smile returned to his face.


	2. Chapter 2: Goodbyes

The man hurled himself at them, his blood-thirsty eyes never leaving Rose's frightened ones. Rose heard the slick shrum of the lightsaber flicking on next to her, its green light once again filling the streets.

"Tamba, please!" She shouted at him. He froze, mere inches from the tip of the lightsaber. "Let us go," she begged, trying to find reason within the known murderer. He only gave her another evil grin.

"Is the little monster concerned for my well-being?" he laughed mockingly. "Compassion will earn you a place alongside your friends."

"I'm afraid if you wish to harm this youngling, you will have to go through me. I made a deal with her, and I intend to keep that deal," Qui-Gon intervened, the Jedi's voice just as even as it was before, but a trace of a threat could be detected within it.

"You're kidding me, right? I own her," Tamba's eyes narrowed at the Jedi. "Little tramp was sold to me two years ago. She's mine."

"I don't belong to you, you laser-brained asshole!" Rose threw at him. "I don't belong to anyone!" She darted at his feet, aiming low. From her back pocket, she produced a small knife, keeping it close to her. She could hear Qui-Gon's protests behind her, but she ignored them. Tamba swiftly dodged her first attack, but she kicked off the wall behind him and landed the knife into his shoulder, causing him to yelp in pain.

"You underestimate me, Tamba," she hissed through gritted teeth. "I may be young, but I will not lose." She pulled the knife out from his shoulder, pushing him down to his knees. Qui-Gon only looked on, ready to step in should he need to.

"Deliver a message for me, you harpy," she mocked. "I'm not a part of you anymore." She kicked him away, Tamba grasping his arm in pain, squirming on the ground of the alleyway.

"Where will you even go?" he spat back at her, his eyes filled with venom. "Where could a monster like you ever go?"

Rose only looked at him. She felt a moment's worth of pity for the poor creature. He was so consumed by his greed – his need for more power and money – that he failed to realize that the monster that he spoke of was inside of him. She kneeled down beside him, her eyes locking onto his.

"Where my parents wanted me to," she said. She motioned for the Jedi to follow her, and he did so, sheathing his lightsaber. The two left him on the ground – not to die, but to feel pain. Rose picked up the bag that contained the heads of her friends and retraced their steps back down the dark alley, not looking back when she heard the howls of pain coming from Tamba.

"You have more fight than you let on, young one," Qui-Gon remarked when they were out of eyeshot of Tamba. "It appears we will have much to discuss over our meal."

"Yes," she said softly. "My friends. I must burn them." Rose followed the Jedi back to his ship. She tried her best not to think about the bodies that were surely on her own – how someone else was going to discover the two headless bodies of her friends. The Jedi nodded in approval, taking the young girl to the nearest crematorium he knew of. When they landed, he explained that he needed the bag to be burned, paying them the proper amount of credits.

"Wait," Rose protested as the workers were about to toss the bag into the furnace. She moved to put her hand on the bag, allowing a strong force to guide her actions. She closed her eyes, feeling the presence of something larger at work. Two lotus flowers blossomed above the bag, created by an array of white parcels of light. Qui-Gon looked on in awe as they appeared, seemingly filling up the ominous ember-lit room with a quick bright light that lit every shadow in sight. He noticed the glowing imprint on Rose's arm and how it seemed to fade back to a light tan as the two lotus flowers faded, allowing the shadows to once again fill the room.

"Sleep well," she said quietly. She nodded to the mortician, who threw the heads into the furnace. The stench of burning flesh quickly filled the air, and Rose had to cover up her nose with her cloak to try and hide from it. Qui-Gon led her from the crematorium, curious about what just happened.

The Jedi Master led Rose to his ship and the two set off for the surface. Looking out of the window of the shuttle, Rose saw how the light seemed to creep down the wall. It had been a week since she had seen the surface. She embraced the light's warmth, revelling in how good it felt to be able to truly see again. Qui-Gon flew the ship over the Jedi Temple, Rose's eyes grew wide as they flew past the it, never before taking in its splendor. The four pillars on each corner towered over the rest of the building easily, the sheer size of the place enough to amaze the mind of a small child.

"That's where the Jedi are," she said out loud, not particularly expecting a reply from Qui-Gon. "If that's how big it is on the outside, it must be massive on the inside. You could fit like a million people in that building!"

Qui-Gon laughed at her remark. It was true: however large the Temple looked on the outside, it was even bigger on the inside.

"It's the central hub of the Jedi Order," he explained.

"I used to have dreams of becoming a Jedi," Rose said quietly, sitting back down in the co-pilot seat. She put her legs up in it, crossing them, and leaned on her knees with her elbows. "They always felt so real. Papa tried to contact the Order, but no one responded. The Shadow Dwellers found me first and took me away two years ago. I wish I got to say goodbye.

"He wasn't a bad man, my father," she continued. "He just… made some mistakes."

"So, you are without family now?" the Jedi asked respectfully. He did not want to overstep the boundaries of his inquiries of this little girl. She laughed bitterly at his question.

"I don't really know," she said. "Doesn't matter, Jedi," she said, her voice betraying her slightly. While being distracted, Rose failed to realize where exactly it was they landed. "What kind of diner is this?" she retorted, moving up from her seat. Looking up out of the window, she saw one of the pillars of the Jedi Temple towering over their ship. Rose suddenly felt very small in the world.

"Change of plans, young one," said Qui-Gon as he moved from the pilot's spot, pushing the button to lower the landing ramp. "We shall eat here."

"Eat here? Are you for real? Only Jedi can go in –"

"And I am a Jedi and I am making you an authorized personnel. As of now, that is," he cut her off with a smile. He put a hand on her back and led her up the steps of the Temple, throwing the keys to a nearby worker, telling him to, "Not leave a scratch on the new wing."

"You're certainly one crazy old guy," she mumbled, not caring if he heard her or not. As they reached the doors of the Temple, they, too, loomed over their figures, as a giant would tower over an ant. Two temple guards were posted, blocking their entrance. They both bowed as Qui-Gon approached them.

"Master Jinn," they said respectfully, pushing the door open for him. Qui-Gon bowed back, ushering Rose into the main hall. The large pillars loomed on either side of them, seemingly going on for miles. The tiles below them reflected the retreating daylight from above with a radiance that filled the entire room, allowing Rose to see clearly without the need of artificial lighting. The hustle of the main hall was enough to make Rose cower behind the Jedi Master she was trailing. He only laughed and pushed her ahead of him with a little more force than she liked. She felt exposed – unable to blend in with her surroundings. Some of the nearby people – Jedi, she assumed, by the lightsabers strapped on their belts – looked their way, sending not only her, but also Qui-Gon, curious looks. She crossed her arms under her black poncho, which only covered half of her body. Grabbing some of the bandages she keeps in her belt, she wrapped her arms quickly, trying her best to make herself invisible.

"I don't like this," she whispered, her voice carrying across the tile. She moved closer to him once again, but this time he did not push her into the open.

"I didn't expect you to, young one. It's quite a lot to take in all at once, wouldn't you agree? I remember when I first came to the Temple; I was enveloped in the same curiosity that you were," he smiled down at the young girl at his side – the one he felt so much power within. "Come with me. Let's head to the dining hall."

Qui-Gon led Rose down the many corridors, showing her the many wonders of the Jedi Temple. Her curiosity was peaked when they passed the training room of the Initiates', a certain blonde one catching her eye. He gave her a small, encouraging grin as she walked by. Rose felt a similar grin creep across her face. Rose sighed in relief as they reached the first human-sized door in the Temple, welcoming the humbled sight. The doors slid open, revealing a larger than life cafeteria. He ushered her over to the serving area, where two droids plopped piles of food onto their trays. Finding a table, the two sat down and began eating.

Rose's stomach had growled relentlessly on the trip there, and she hungrily shoveled down the food on her plate before Qui-Gon could even get a word in. He watched as she ate as if she had never eaten before. Looking at her thin frame, he wondered if she had even eaten that week.

"Young one, tell me, when was the last time you ate?"

"Uhh, it might have been a couple of days ago? No, that was Coab. Wait, it was my turn to eat a week ago. Yes, a week ago," she talked in between bites before her eyes went wide. "Excuse me, I forgot my manners," she slowed her eating, allowing her mouth to savor the food; however, her eyes still gazed hungrily at the food below her. Qui-Gon only waved it off.

"Eat, child. It is your right," he said, feeling a pang of pity for the girl. Her eyes lit up and her mouth pulled into a large smile. He began eating himself, asking her questions in between his own bites.

"Do you know what the Force is?" he inquired, wiping his face with a napkin. Rose hesitated, thinking about her answer. Her plate was almost clean, and she had to resist the strong temptation to lick it.

"Not really," she admitted, scratching the back of her neck. "I've heard of it. I used to sneak into the Shadow Dwellers' archives and read. I learned all sorts of things about, well, all sorts of things. They kept mentioning this all-powerful 'Force' thingy mabobber, but they didn't really say what it was. Do you know what the Force is?" she said, pointing her fork at his face while raising one of her eyebrows.

"I should hope I do by this point, my dear," he responded, tipping her fork from his face using his finger, warranting a pout to spread across the young girl's face. "The Force is the lifeblood of the Universe, and is consisted of the Living Force and the Cosmic Force."

"I know that already, but I don't see how Jedi fit into it," Rose cut in, scraping her plate into her mouth.

"Patience, young one," Qui-Gon lectured. "As I was saying, the Living Force is made up of all living things," he gestured all around them, motioning towards all the people in the room. "As Jedi, we are the physical embodiment of the Force, and it is our duty to help keep the peace."

"So without the Jedi, the Republic would fall into war?"

"I wish it were that simple. Some radicals believe we are bound for war no matter what; it's just a matter of how long until one breaks out now," he said, his eyes falling down onto the table in front of them.

"The Republic has been at peace for like a thousand years now," she said, feeling the tension growing between them. "I don't think there will be a war."

"I hope you are right," he said, locking eyes with her. "Tell me about these dreams you have. The ones where you believe you are a Jedi."

"Not much to say. I have flashy glowy sabers and a badass robe getup – you know the whole kit and kaboodle. There's someone there, but I don't know who he is. Some guy with a beard and a mullet," she chuckled, picturing the man with the auburn mullet. His eyes were a soft blue; they were almost the same color as the oceans on her home planet.

"Want to see a trick?" Qui-Gon asked, snapping Rose out of her daydream. She looked up at him suspiciously.

"What kind of trick?" she questioned, cocking another eyebrow at him and scrunching her face. He lifted his hand up dramatically. As he did so, Rose felt the soft tug of the fork in her hand as it lifted up out of it, suspending itself in thin air.

"What the hell?" she muttered, looking at the floating object. "What kind of Dathomirian magic is that?" Qui-Gon only laughed at her remark.

"As the physical beings of the Force, we are able to manipulate physical objects. Let's just call it levitation, for simplicity's sake," he smiled as the fork fell back down into her hand, Rose staring at it in wonder. "I believe you are capable of learning how to do this. You have a strong force presence within you, young one."

"If I can do something really cool like that – count me in," Rose smiled, still looking down at the fork in her hand. She felt a new feeling fill her body – one full of both curiosity and determination.


	3. Chapter 3: New Home

"So a bunch of old people will determine whether or not I can lift a fork with my mind for a living?" Rose asked as they left the cafeteria. Qui-Gon led her down the halls of the Jedi Temple once again, navigating the confusing twists with ease.

"They're more than just a bunch of old guys," he scolded her.

"Sorry, should I have thrown wise in there somewhere?" she pressed, scurrying to keep up with the long-haired Jedi's strides. By the time they made it to the doors to the Council Chambers, Rose was out of breath.

"Wait, I can't go in there looking like this. It looks like I've been in a war or something," she started, motioning down to her tattered clothes. Her dark poncho was shredded and rubbed with dirt, while the clothes under it suffered a similar fate. She reached up and felt her hair. It still clung to her neck in a matted state, mystery substances stuck into it. Her feet were still soggy from the mysterious liquid at the bar, causing her footsteps to squash with every step. It was no wonder the Jedi looked at her with curiosity as she entered the Temple; however, maybe it was disgust they were looking at her with. Even worse, it could have been pity. Rose smelled underneath her arms, moving her face away in disgust. "Or smelling like this, for that matter."

"I believe it will be a humbling experience for them," Qui-Gon said coolly as the doors to the Council Chamber slid open. Rose stared into the round room, the people who would decide her fate turning their heads to look at her. Qui-Gon went in ahead of her, announcing his business with the Council. Rose noticed how they listened to his words respectfully; the only person not looking at him was a small, green creature with wing-like ears protruding from either side of his head. He looked at her with a quizzical face, his eyes not dropping her own.

"Come here, you will," he motioned to the floor in front of him, cutting Qui-Gon off. Rose carefully moved to the center of the floor. The windows of the room allowed for her to peer out over the planet Coruscant, the setting sun just barely peeking over the skyline. "Your name, hrmm?"

"Rose," she said, dipping her head into a respectful bow, just as her father had taught her to. Qui-Gon moved off to the side of the Council Chamber, observing quietly. "Rose Amaha."

"What brings you to the Jedi Order?" A man next to the green one asked. He was bald, his skin dark and contrasting against his pale robes.

"I don't really know," Rose admitted, lifting her head from her bow. "Lord Jinn over there seems to think I can lift forks with my mind," she threw a sideways glance at Qui-Gon, giving him a light thumbs-up. He threw his head into his hand, a small sigh coming from him.

"Master, Rose. We're not Lords, we're Masters," he corrected desperately. Rose ignored his comment and began twirling her hair around her finger.

"And what makes you believe you deserve to know our ways?" A voice called out from behind her. Murmurs of accordance with this question echoed all around her, leaving Rose to merely grasp at straws to try and make her case.

"Strong with the Force, this young one is," the green man remarked reverently, stroking one of his ears. "A powerful Jedi, she could be. Much determination I see, hrmm?"

"Masters, if I may," Qui-Gon interjected, stepping next to Rose in the middle of the floor. "This child has demonstrated her sensitivity to the Force. Her midi-chlorian count is well at the upper ends of our scanners and she has visions." The Council murmured once again around them.

"She's too old," someone else interjected. "She should have begun training years ago."

"Masters," Rose corrected herself, sending a glare at Qui-Gon and silencing the room. "If I may. If I'm being honest here, I don't even know who this guy is," she said, jabbing a finger at Qui-Gon, "but Papa always said the 'Jedi would come for you one day, little one,' whatever that meant. I think it's fair to say I have no idea what is happening right now, but whatever it is, I never turn down a challenge, especially one as cool as this," Rose's voice grew low as she mimicked her father, but she felt a new kind of strength behind her as she remembered her father's words. She wasn't sure what was pushing her to want to join the Jedi Order – she knew very little about it and it seemed like a lot of work. She searched deep down, searching the feelings that lay deep under the thick layers she had laid long ago to protect herself. Something felt right about this place, and Rose was not going to let it go away that easily.

The green man moved from his chair and came to stand in front of Rose. Though he was short, he still came halfway up her figure, his eyes looking up into hers. He held out his hand and Rose took it, fighting back the urge to run out of the room - away from the commitment of the Order. She felt a strong sense of reassurance wash over her, a friendly force filling her soul. The green man let go and hopped back into his seat, nodding his head.

"The Dark Side, she has not," he said after a moment of silence. "To train her, I think is best."

"Then we shall have a vote," the bald man said. "All in favor say 'aye.'"

A chorus of 'aye's' filled the chamber, and Qui-Gon came up behind Rose, placing a hand reassuringly on her shoulder.

"Master Jinn, would you please usher our newest member to her quarters… and to a bath, while you're at it," Rose saw the bald man smile and nod at her. She nodded back. With a bow to the Council, the two left the chambers, leaving them to discuss further business.

"Congratulations, young one," he said once they were in the hallway. "Welcome to the Order."

"Thanks, Master," she quipped, her feet squishing in her spot.

"I can't believe they let you in after that," he said, leading her to her new quarters.

"I thought it was pretty funny. All you old guys are the same: no sense of humor," Rose complained. "You need someone to liven up this place."

"Well, either way, little one," he laughed. "It will be an honor to serve alongside you." Qui-Gon led her to the Jedi quarters, opening a door for her. She stepped through and took in the small room that would be her new home. Though it left little for interior decor, the quarters were larger than anything she had ever been given while in the Shadow Dwellers. Rose walked in, taking in her new space: a small bed lie on the far side of the room. A modest bathroom and closet made up the hallway. Walking over to the far wall, she peered through the blinds of her window. Outside, she had a perfect view of Coruscant. The stars above twinkled endlessly, their light only slightly drowned out by the city's.

"I'll have another Initiate bring you a change of clothes. For now, this is goodnight, my little friend," Qui-Gon left Rose to her silence, her figure still marveling at the world outside the Temple. For the first time in her memory, Rose felt the warm affections that came with a home. She looked down at her arms and the bandages that still covered them. Carefully, she began unwinding the cloth that covered the markings that had always been upon her arms. Her father used to tell her it was a symbol of royalty and power, but Rose had always took those for his jokes. Dropping the wrappings to the floor, she heard a light knock on the door.

"Come in," she called out. The door slid open to reveal the same blonde boy that had smiled at her when she first entered the Temple. He was holding a pile of clothes in his hands.

"Hello," he said warmly, the smile still there. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, and yours?" He set down the robes next to Rose on her bed.

"Rose Amaha," she said, returning his smile. "You don't really look like a Jedi."

"I'm not one yet," he said. "I'm hoping to be a Padawan learner soon. And from there, a Jedi." His eyes lit up as he talked about his hopes and dreams. Rose couldn't help but laugh a little at him.

"So, Obi-Wan, is it? How does this whole training thing work? When can I get to the fun stuff and the glowy sabers?" Rose asked as she pulled off her wet shoes and poncho. She held up the robes he had brought her, liking the dark brown meditation cloak and light tan tunic.

"Well, you'll probably begin training with Master Yoda, and from there, if you're lucky, you'll get your own lightsaber and then work under a Jedi Knight where you'll learn to use the Force through experience. After that, you go through the Jedi Trials and then if you pass them, you become a Jedi Knight yourself," the boy looked at Rose with quizzical eyes. "Do I know you from somewhere?" His blue eyes stared back into her green ones.

"No," she snorted. "I only just got here, remember, dork?" He appeared to be about the same age she was, and as she said those words, she couldn't help but feel as if she knew him from somewhere as well.

"No matter, then," he said quickly. "I'll be here in the morning to take you to Master Yoda. Master Qui-Gon has put me in charge of showing you the ropes for the first couple of days. Goodnight Rose." The boy made his way out of her quarters, the door sliding shut behind him. Rose began to peel off her various layers of her garb, flinging it into the laundry bin on one side of her room. She went into the bathroom and stepped into the shower. The warm, welcoming feeling of the water soothed her body and the sores that lay on it. The layer of dirt that had accumulated over the past couple of weeks fell down the drain, along with the mystery substances of her hair. When she was finished, she put on the tunic that Obi-Wan had left for her, the brown coloring a nice contrast to her old, dark clothing. For the first time, Rose was able to get a good look at herself in the mirror of her small bathroom.

The spots under her eyes were dark and defined; her cheeks were hollow from malnutrition. The skin everywhere seemed to be clinging desperately to the bones underneath, appearing to be the only barrier between her bones and the outside world. Her hair, still wet, hung over her shoulders in clumped strands, their blonde color darkened by the water. Rose made sure to wash her face very well, having to stand on her tiptoes to reach the sink.

The door to the bathroom automatically slid shut as she left. Rose crawled her way into the bed in her room, lying on her back so she had a good view of her new space. The walls were grey and lonely – they were going to need some livening up. Rose smiled to herself.

"Goodnight Coab. Goodnight Kator. Sleep well, my friends," Rose yawned and turned on her side, allowing the grips of sleep to overcome her. For the first time, her mind was at peace as she slept.

When morning came, the new light streamed in through her blinds, casting weird lines on the floor. Rose's eyes fluttered open, momentarily confused as to where she was. Looking down at her clothes, she breathed a sigh of relief as she realized it wasn't just a dream. Kicking off her bed, she headed out into the hallway of the Jedi Temple. She wanted to do a little exploring before she began her "training," whatever that entailed. Retracing her steps back to the cafeteria, she saw the Jedi Temple in a new light. A new vibrancy filled the hallways as people of all ages hustled about, doing their morning routine. She saw the eager younglings racing around the halls, the Padawans chasing after them in an attempt to wrangle them up.

"They do this every morning," a familiar voice sounded behind her. She turned around to be greeted by Obi-Wan, his eyes following the herd of younglings. "I bet you're hungry."

Rose nodded, feeling her stomach growl. Obi-Wan motioned for her to follow him, leading them a different way to the cafeteria.

"If you go the way you were going to go, it would have taken you ages to reach the food hall," he mused. "This way is much faster. It's like a shortcut." He was right. The doors to the cafeteria were much closer than she thought, and the two of them ate breakfast together, discussing the training that was ahead of Rose.

"So it's like a test?" she asked while taking a bite of a mystery orange substance. It didn't taste bad, but Rose couldn't quite pinpoint its flavor. Obi-Wan nodded.

"They have to see what you can do before they can begin training you. They won't let anything happen to you, they just want to see what you are capable of," he said with a reassuring smile.

"And if I absolutely suck?" she said with a mouthful of food.

"Doubtful," he said, taking another bite of his own food. "Master Yoda saw something in you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let you in."

"Er, which one is Master Yoda?" Rose asked sheepishly.

"The little green guy who walks with a cane," Obi-Wan described how he was the most powerful Jedi out of all the ones at the Temple, and how he was also the wisest of them all. He was interrupted by the com link on his arm going off.

"Obi-Wan, bring our new guest to the training arena," Rose heard Qui-Gon's voice on the other side. Obi-Wan stood up and threw his tray where it was supposed to go and led Rose to the training room. They arrived to a circular chamber where Masters Yoda and Qui-Gon already were. Four hooded, looming statues were on opposing sides of the circle, watching their every move. Rose stepped up to the middle of the room to where the Masters were, observing the intricate circular patterns of the floor below her.

"Made it, you have," Master Yoda said acknowledging. "Begin now, your true test has."

"Rose, we're going to test your physical capabilities first. We just need to gather where you are in your training," Qui-Gon said, holding out a lightsaber to Rose. She took it, eyeing it suspiciously.

"It's just a practice saber. Are you ready to begin?"

Rose nodded, and the two Master Jedi left the floor, ushering Obi-Wan away. He sent an encouraging thumbs-up in Rose's direction. She took a deep breath and the lights of the room dimmed.


	4. Chapter 4: Initiate

Pushing the button on her saber, Rose felt the light vibration as the saber in her hand extended, revealing a pale blue light. She saw something move in her peripherals. Turning to face it, she saw that it was a simple training droid. The clicks of the gears in the small droid echoed throughout the room, filling Rose's ears. She saw it getting ready to fire, and barely dodged one of its blasts in her directions. Now crouching, she held up her lightsaber, ready to block.

The small droid began firing in her direction. Rose deflected most of the blasts, having to dodge the ones she didn't hit. This game of cat and mouse continued on and on, neither one of them letting up. Rose wasn't sure if she was supposed to destroy it or not – the Jedi Masters never _actually_ told her what was supposed to be done. Between blasts, Rose glanced around the chamber, looking for something she easily could have missed. Sure enough, on one of the statues, a key hung from his folded hands.

Making a break for it after the droid had finished a round of blasts, Rose booked it to the key. She used the Force – or, at least what she thought was the Force – to push her feet as she neared the statue, sending her skyrocketing towards its top. A blast from the droid came at her, but she used the lightsaber to deflect it, sending the shot back at the droid and shattering it into a million pieces. Now clinging to the statue, Rose eased herself up the side, climbing closer and closer to the key. She took it from the hands and used her high vantage point as a crow's nest, scouting for a nearby door. She smiled when she saw the small hatch in the wall – the perfect size for her. As she dropped down and neared the door, two more droids appeared behind her. She drew her lightsaber, but was a little too late on the prep, as one of the droids blasted it out of her hand.

A shot of pain threw through her arm, causing her to drop the saber at her feet. Rose didn't have time to pick it up – the droids were still firing at her. She swiftly moved out of the ways of the blasts, trying to get around them. Stuffing the key in her tunic, Rose made a beeline for the opposite end of the room. As soon as she passed the center, the two droids stopped chasing her, allowing her to catch her breath.

"So that's how it's going to be, you tin cans," she muttered to herself. She crouched down, eyeing the saber on the opposite end. It was a good ten yards away from her.

Rose closed her eyes and tried to imagine the saber floating as Qui-Gon had with the fork. She felt nothing happening, and when she opened her eyes again, the saber remained unmoved. Rose fell back on her butt with a frustrated moan. She once again held up her hand and focused everything she had into it, willing the saber to move. It didn't. She sat on the floor for a while, thinking of a plan. She got up from her spot and tested the boundaries that the droids followed, slowly inching her foot closer and closer to the halfway point. As it crossed the circular seal on the floor, the droids immediately began hovering towards her, causing Rose to jump back a bit. They stopped. Putting her foot right on the edge of the seal, Rose once again focused her energy, trying to will the saber to move to her. She thought she saw it shift a little in its spot, but she couldn't be sure. She tried more, concentrating hard to the point she felt like her mind was going to snap. She heard the clatter of something on the floor and felt the metal as it flew into her grasp.

"Okay, coolest ability ever," she said, proud of her work. Her head had begun to ache a little, but she still had work to do. Using the hand that hadn't been blasted, Rose wielded the lightsaber, charging towards the two droids. They immediately turned on her, but she was able to deflect their shots with ease. Coming in from the side, Rose was able to get one droid to take out the other one in its attempt to shoot at her. With only one droid to worry about, Rose maneuvered herself around its blasts and struck at it, slicing the bot in half. Taking the key from her pocket, she fit it into the door. The lights of the training room immediately went back up.

"Impressive, young one," Qui-Gon said, approaching her. Master Yoda and Obi-Wan were with him. "You did better than we expected you to."

"So, what's next?" Rose said, breathing heavily. She clipped the training saber onto her belt, not wanting to lose it. "Is this the part where I fight a giant acklay, tame it and it becomes my best friend?"

"Test of the mind, you shall encounter next," Yoda said, a hint of amusement across his face. "A harder challenge for you, this will be." Rose followed the three Jedi out, Obi-Wan pulling her back a ways from the two masters.

"You did a good job, Rose," he said. "It normally takes people twice as long to try and get past the droids."

"That was hard," Rose admitted. "I don't get this how this Force thing works. When I want it to work, _it_ doesn't seem to want to work.

"You'll get better. Hey, a word of advice for this next trial: don't let your fears control you. It's okay to take a second to breathe," with a wink, Obi-Wan left the entourage, heading towards his own daily activities. Rose caught up quickly with the other two Jedi, not sure what Obi-Wan meant exactly.

They reached a room with a few padded chairs, the curtains drawn so the light only streamed in. Qui-Gon ushered her over to one of the chairs, taking a seat himself. Yoda sat across from them, his eyes closed.

"Strong with the Force, yes, but much to learn, you still have," he said. "Trial of the mind, you shall now do."

"Let your mind go blank, young one," Rose heard Qui-Gon say beside her. She relaxed, letting her shoulders droop and her breath steady. She felt the odd presence of something picking at her mind before the world began to go black.

"Where am I?" Rose was startled awake. She was back in the treetops of her home world, Varia. The treehouses that made up her village dangled precariously over the ground above, hundreds of feet off the ground. The thick mist of the canopy obstructed her sight, making it nearly impossible to see what was coming. She moved slowly from her resting position on the swinging bridge she found herself, not wanting to accidentally topple over the edge. The wooden boards creaked and swayed as she stood up, threatening to drop under her weight. But Rose knew they wouldn't break.

Rose gingerly stepped along the bridge, wishing to get to a more stable platform. She didn't dare look down, afraid of the nauseating sight she would see. She kept her head high, her eyes glued on the fog in front of her. She felt her feet reach a new surface – the platform. Walking a little farther onto the platform, she held her hands up, not wanting to run into the hut that was surely on it. Feeling the familiar slimy walls that Varian homes were famous for, she moved her hands along the wood, searching for the cloth door that was the entrance to the home.

"Hello?" she called out, surprised at how hoarse and unfamiliar her own voice sounded to her. "Is anybody here?" Her hand fell through the wall, and she took it as a sign she found the entrance. Pushing aside the tapestry, she found a humble living space. Her foot kicked a doll that was in the middle of the floor, the small squeaking sound rippling through the quiet air. Rose stopped when she saw the forms of bodies come into view, her stomach flipping at the sight.

"No!" Rose shouted, feeling sadness eminate throughout her bones.

"You can save them," a voice startled Rose from behind, causing her to jump. Rose turned on her heels and faced the mysterious figure. It was cloaked and leaned over Rose's figure, but from its voice Rose could tell it was a woman.

"They're already gone," Rose countered bitterly, recognizing the symbols on the arms of the bodies. They weren't as elaborate as hers, but they all bore the crest of her family on their right arms. "They were gone long before I got here."

"Then why not bring them back? Give them the life they always wanted – the life _you_ always wanted," the figure took another step towards Rose, who took a step back in response, her foot nudging who used to be her sister. The figure held out her hand.

"There is a power in the universe that will allow you to," she said, taking another step. Rose didn't have anywhere to step to now, lest she step over her sister. "Will you embrace it?"

"It's not supposed to be that way," Rose hissed out. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to calm herself. The anger that was bubbling inside of her was becoming unbearable. She crouched down to the figure at her feet, turning it over to reveal the stone cold face of her sister. Her eyes were still opened, a look of horror plastered onto her pale features. Rose lifted a hand to her sister's cheek, feeling a tear running down her own. It dropped onto her sister's face, clearing a wet pathway into the thick layer of dirt that covered it.

"You know me to be right," the woman called out, creeping close to Rose's face, taking Rose's hand into her own. "Do it for your sister, Anali. She would have done it for you."

"Who are you?" Rose asked, slightly afraid of the answer.

"Why, I am you," the figure said, drawing back the hood. Rose saw the features of a beautiful woman. It was her, but it was an older version of her. Beneath the black robe, she saw the dark tunic and rugged scars of battles. Her eyes were as green as the forests of Naboo, and her thick, golden hair fell over her shoulders with grace. But Rose saw something that was slightly off about her face. There was a twisted darkness to her gaze - one that held terrible misfortune. Her smile, however good-willed it was meant to appear, was laced with mischief and temptation of something far darker than Rose understood.

"What will it be?" the older woman asked, her eyes holding the others. Rose moved her hand out of the older woman's and wrapped them around her middle.

"No, this isn't right," she said, her voice shaking. Rose reached down and closed her sister's eyes, a bright lotus appearing above her body. "She wouldn't have wanted that. She needs to be burned. Her spirit needs to rest." Rose moved from her spot and walked past the older woman.

"You will regret this," she said darkly. When Rose turned around, the woman was gone, along with the bodies on the floor.

"I know," Rose said sadly. She walked out of the hut and had to shield her eyes against the sunlight. The fog had lifted and the light streamed through the canopy above. Birds of every color and size were dancing through the sky, their vibrant colors filling the air with cheer.

Cautiously, Rose crept back across the bridge. She peeked down at the ground below her, only to be filled with a moment of terror. The height of the suspended village made her nerves tingle on edge, and she tightly gripped the ropes of the bridge, bracing herself so she wouldn't fall.

"I told you that you would regret that," the older woman's voice called out from behind her. Fear plastered itself across her face as Rose whirled around. The woman had a lightsaber drawn, mere inches away from the very ropes that were holding her suspended above the ground. She felt her feet freeze beneath her, unable to move them. Behind the woman, Rose could see her sister – alive and well – peeking out of her robes.

"Anali, you need to run!" Rose mouthed, but no words escaped from her throat. The woman smiled before flicking her wrist, the ropes of the bridge being set free. Rose clung for dear life as she felt the bridge drop beneath her, the ground approaching fast. She heard the menacing laugh of her older self as she fell through the air and the crisp crunch as the wood bridge grew still in a vertical position, Rose still dangling from its midsection. She felt the hot tears streaming down her face, her small whimpers unable to be contained.

"I will not be afraid, I will not be afraid," she mumbled continuously to herself, trying to free her mind of the nightmare she was caught in. She heard Obi-Wan's words echo throughout her head.

"Don't let your fears control you," she remembered him saying, his voice filling her heart with a sense of hope. Rose opened her eyes and slowly tilted her head down. The ground was right there. There was no death-defying height she had thought she was dangling from – it was all just an illusion. A trick her mind had played on her. She let go of the bridge, falling to the earth below her. Slowly, the world around her began to collapse into a sphere of darkness. Rose closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was back in the familiar room of the Jedi Temple.

"Welcome back," Qui-Gon said to her. Rose's vision swirled back into focus.

"Let's not do that again," she said, grasping her head. Her heart felt heavy in her chest as her breathing returned to its normal state.

"Begin your training now, we may," Yoda said, getting up from his own seat. He hobbled over to the door, leaning on his cane as he walked. Rose followed him out into the hall before being stopped by Qui-Gon.

"I'm afraid this is where we say goodbye for now," he said. "I shall like to hear more of your training when I get back from my mission."

"Thank you, Master Qui-Gon," Rose said with a bow. "Good luck."

"We say 'May the Force be with you' around here, young one," he laughed before turning to leave. Rose watched his retreating figure before running to catch up with Master Yoda.

"Master, what is next?" she asked, trying to hide a new surge of excitement within her.

"Create your saber, you must," he said. "Fetch the crystals with the other younglings, we will."


	5. Chapter 5: The Caves

**Hello, everyone! I guess this is my first "author's note"! I am so excited for this series and I have so much planned for it. I'm wrapping this storyline – Rose's storyline – into George Lucas's Star Wars universe and I'm having so much fun while doing it. The feedback I've gotten is really incredible, and to think the story has only been up for a day now! Anyway, as always, leave a comment with any suggestions/grammar or writing corrections/Star Wars factoids I might have gotten wrong, and I will do my best to fix them. Enjoy the next chapter!**

 **\- The Awkward Author**

 **Also, for those of you wondering, this first book is going to focus more on the friendship aspect to Obi-Wan and Rose's relationship, as they are still fairly young in their lives (they're both about to enter the Padawan stages of their Jedi training). I will probably change the "romance" thing to like "friendship" or something along those lines to avoid future confusion. In future novels, there will be romantic involvement, but think of this book as like the prequel to the rest of the story arch. It's setting up the characters and why they become romantic. For the sake of this series, please note that I am opting to ignore the romantic involvement of other people like Duchess Satine and Siri Tachi. They will merely be friends.**

"Wow, I've never seen markings like that before," Obi-Wan said to Rose, taking her arm into his hands. They were on a transport ship about to leave Coruscant for Ilum, the planet where the Jedi found their crystals to construct their lightsabers that was situated in the unknown regions. It was held in high esteem amongst them, and deemed one of the most sacred places for the Jedi.

"You gotta be apart of the cool club to have them," Rose jested, gently trying to squirm out of his grip. His unrestrained touch and intense gaze was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. He continued to turn her arm over in his hand, taking in every detail of the crest. "It's like a family crest."

"So all of your family has one like this?" he asked.

"Well, not quite. Mine's a little… different than theirs were. Anyway, tell me about this 'Crystal Cave' we're going to," Rose said, trying to change the subject. Obi-Wan let go of her hand and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, we all just kind of go in and use the Force to find our crystals. Then we leave," he said, uncertainty on his voice. "Ilum caves are known to only have a couple colors of crystals, and I've heard that no one else can see your crystal. Makes me wonder about what would happen if your crystal wasn't in that cave."

"Oh, hush, Kenobi," another youngling, Bant, cut in. Her silver eyes were gentle and soothing. "There's a crystal for everyone in there. You just have to feel for it." It had been about a week since her trials to get into the Temple, and Rose had quickly become friends with two of the other younglings – Obi-Wan and Bant. Obi-Wan had introduced her to Bant, a Mon Calamarian, right after she completed her trials.

"I'm just saying what if there wasn't," he mumbled before sliding back into his seat. As the shuttle began to move, all of the younglings took their seats, their anxiety filling the cabin. They jabbered on about what color saber they wanted and what their future intentions were.

"Isn't it odd there are only three of us on this trip?" Bant quipped, her hands occupying themselves. "There are normally at least five who go on the trip to Ilum."

"Not enough people?" Rose suggested, but Bant only shook her head.

"Bruck and Siri were ready. Oh, uh, they're friends of ours. Well, one is," Bant quickly explained. "And you've only been with the Order a couple of days. Master Yoda seems to see great potential in you, Rose."

"Our badassery levels are going to go through the roof," Rose said, thinking. They felt the ship touch down beneath them and saw Master Yoda appear from the cockpit.

"Excited, hrmm?" he asked, raising his ears with a smile. "Put warmer clothes on, we must, lest we wish to freeze." The younglings did as he suggested, putting on the fur-lined jackets they had brought with them. As the platform descended, the howling winds of Ilum's surface shook the ship. The raging blizzard outside nearly drowned out Master Yoda as he spoke to the younglings as they exited the ship. They pulled their jackets close to their bodies and huddled close together. Rose felt the sting of the pounding snow against her nose and cheeks.

"Work together to open the door, we must. Focus your energy, younglings. Reveal the door," Master Yoda closed his eyes and began concentrating the Force onto the large ice pillars that rose above them. Bant, Obi-wan, and Rose all followed his lead, closing their eyes and concentrating hard. Rose felt the energy of the Force moving between all of them, connecting them in a ring. She heard the sliding of the ice as it crashed down, revealing a large door in the cliffside. Master Yoda led the younglings through, leaving the blizzard behind them.

With the flick of his wrist, Master Yoda turned the sun dial at the top of the room, which cast a concentrated beam of light at the top of a sheet of ice. Gradually, the ice melted, revealing a hidden passageway behind the waterfall. The water trickled past them, heading towards lower ground.

"Go, you must. Find your crystals before the door freezes, or trapped you will be," Master Yoda perched himself upon a cushion of ice and began meditating. Rose turned and looked at Obi-Wan and Bant before the trio made for the ice door. As they passed under it, Rose could hear the crinkling of the new ice forming above them, their time freezing with it.

"That wasn't cryptic at all," Obi-Wan said sarcastically. Rose only rolled her eyes at him before making their way into the caves. On either side, the faint twinkling of the ice from the reflection of their lights gave them false illusions of crystals. Coming to a fork in the caves, the younglings came to a stop. From here, the cave diverged into two, long and dark passageways that were nearly identical to one another.

"Split or stick?" Rose asked, peering down both passages.

"Let's close our eyes and point to the cave we feel is right to go down. If we split up, then we split up. We'll let the Force guide us," Bant proposed. Obi-Wan and Rose agreed with her and closed their eyes.

"On the count of three," said Rose. "One… two… three… point!"

The three of them each pointed to a cave. Bant selected the one on the left, while Rose and Obi-Wan selected the other. When they opened their eyes, Bant let out a small whine.

"I had a feeling that would happen," she complained, a hint of worry filling her voice. "But it's where my instincts took me. May the Force be with you both." Bant headed down her cave, leaving Rose and Obi-Wan alone.

"Ready?" Rose asked, and Obi-Wan nodded. "Let's move out." The two of them continued down their own passageway, peering in every corner possible for their crystals. It was Obi-Wan who found his first.

"Do you hear that?" he asked, straining his ears to hear the ringing that now filled them.

"Hear what?" Rose said, likewise straining hers. She couldn't hear whatever he did.

"It's the most annoying ringing sound," he said. "I think it's coming from this direction." Obi-Wan led them down a small crawlspace in the ice, just big enough for the two of them.

"It's a little tight," Rose said, feeling slightly claustrophobic in the tight space.

"Quite, but I think we're almost to the end of it." As the two reached the end of the small tunnel, Obi-Wan pointed to the tip of a nearby pillar. Rose didn't see what he was pointing to, but if he was certain he saw his crystal, she believed him. "There! There's my crystal!" He went to the base of the pillar, his small form feeble compared to it. He began to climb the ice, but as he made it halfway up, he lost his footing and slid down, nearly landing on Rose.

"!" she called out to him. He gave her an embarrassed smile before walking around to the other side of it, looking for a way up. Rose looked up at the column herself, trying to aid her friend.

"Here, I'll give you a boost," Rose offered.

"Think you can handle it?" he said, a hint of cockiness lining his voice.

"Don't be an ass," Rose said, unamused. He faked a look of hurt before turning his attention to the task at hand. He began climbing first, and when Rose was sure he was stable, she climbed up after him, careful to put her footing in the same spots as him. As he neared the spot where the ice had gave out before, he gave Rose a thumb up, indicating that he was ready for her part of the plan.

"Do try not to drop me," he joked lightly. Rose merely shook her head.

"Don't tempt me," she said. She heard him say something else, but she didn't quite catch it in time. Ignoring it, Rose focused all of the Force energy she could scrounge up and pushed Obi-Wan higher and higher. She was nearly to her breaking point when she heard a victorious "yippee" from above her. Looking up, she saw Obi-Wan beaming down at her with proud eyes, gripping a crystal in between his fingers. The two of them slid down the pillar, looking at the crystal.

"Holy smokes that looks cool," admired Rose as Obi-Wan rolled the small crystal in between his fingers.

"You'll find one like it," he said, pocketing it.

"I wonder how Bant is doing," Rose said, thinking of her friend, who was probably scared from being alone in the cave.

"Bant can take care of herself. She's going to be a good Jedi. The Force led her down that path, and it also led us down ours. Now, let's find your crystal," Obi-Wan offered an encouraging grin to Rose, but she still wasn't convinced.

"We're running in circles," she said. "This Force thing is still super annoying."

"Rose, you're being silly," Obi-Wan said, a little impatient. "We'll find yours, just be have your eyes peeled."

"People didn't always get crystals from here," Rose pouted, crossing her arms. "Master Windu didn't."

"Master Windu is different. He crafted his after years and years of experience. We all start out the same," Obi-Wan threw back, throwing up his nose into the air. Rose, accepting defeat, quietly seethed behind Obi-Wan as he wound them through the caves, Rose looking for any sign of her crystal. She was glad Obi-Wan was with her, but she knew time was running short. Rose looked down at the timer Master Yoda had given them on the way to Ilum. It told them how much time they had left before the water door froze over. There were only two hours left. Rose felt a rush of panic and fear surge through her.

"Oi, Obi-Wan. It's time for you to split out of here," Rose hollered at him, not wanting Obi-Wan to be stuck with her.

"I'm not leaving until you leave," he said defiantly. "And we're not leaving without that crystal. Besides, who knows what's in these caves. Something could get you," he teased her, twinkling his fingers in front of her face menacingly, which she only slapped away.

"Shut up, dork. I'd rather not be stuck with you for nineteen rotations," Rose said, grabbing Obi-Wan's arm. He whirled around to face her and shrugged off her grip.

"Rose, we're finding that crystal. That's the end of it," Obi-Wan said a little aggressively. Rose pursed her lips, but didn't have the energy to protest anymore. The two searched deeper into the caves before Rose saw a light behind one of the ice walls.

"There you are," Rose said, rushing up to it.

"Here, if we both concentrate on it, we can crack the ice," Obi-Wan said. The two younglings put their hands up to the wall and focused the Force onto it, causing the wall to shatter. Rose saw a small, white crystal and took it out, its light fading as she put it into one of her back pockets.

"Alright, I think we're go-," another light on the other side of the way caught her attention, it too stuck behind the glass wall.

"What's better than one flashy swords, you might ask? Two flashy swords," Rose joked, walking up to the other wall.

"Really? Another crystal?," Obi-Wan said, eyeing his friend.

"Yep. Help me out here, dork," Obi-Wan nodded, and the two repeated the process they had done on the other wall, smashing it into a million pieces. Rose picked out another small, white crystal.

"Got it," she said with a smile. The two younglings rushed out of the caves to be greeted by Master Yoda and Bant at the entrance, just in the nick of time, as they had to slide under the crushing ice.

"Teamwork, you both have learned," Master Yoda said, approvingly. "Go now, we will." They all headed back to the ship, the younglings sharing their adventures in the caverns with one another. The ride to Coruscant would take four days to get back, and the younglings made themselves makeshift beds in the sitting area. Rose and Obi-Wan fell asleep playing Dejarik, their heads falling together.

Rose was only awoken at the sound of someone's voice calling to her – a voice she only recognized from a distant memory – saying to her "Dantooine".

"What system are we going by?" Rose asked with a yawn to Master Yoda.

"The Outer Rim systems, we are passing. Trouble sleeping, you are having?" he asked, his voice rising at the ends of his questions.

"I had a dream someone was calling out to me. Something about Dantooine," Rose said, her voice still groggy. Obi-Wan stirred beside her, his own eyes fluttering open.

"Hmm… Explore this, we shall," Master Yoda said, leaving for the cockpit. Rose saw the stars outside slow down into view as starship slowed out of light speed. The planet Dantooine came into view of the windows, the soft blues and greens of the planet swirling around.

"Wait, just like that we're going?" Rose called out to the now returning Yoda, getting up from her seat. Obi-Wan, who was still leaning on her, fell into the seat, jutting him awake.

"Indeed, young one. Follow the Force, you will," Master Yoda said, a small smile on his lips.


	6. Chapter 6: Stranded

"I've never seen a planet so lush before!" Bant said, her eyes growing wider and wider as they approached the planet. "Man, I wish I were the one exploring it."

"Stay with the ship, you and I will, youngling," Yoda said. "Go, you and Obi-Wan must. Find your path, you will."

"Whoa, whoa, _what_?" Rose spat out. "You're going to send two children into this wilderness planet _alone_?"

"Find your own way, you must," Yoda said, slinking back into his chair. "With you, the Force is." Rose opened her mouth to protest, but Obi-Wan put a hand over her mouth and began pulling her down the landing ramp.

"See you later, Master!" He called out as they dropped out of sight. Rose squirmed out from his grip.

"He's absolutely crazy!" she cried out, flailing her arms in the air. "All of you Jedi are absolutely crazy!"

"And you're joining us," Obi-Wan laughed. "Come on, Rose. Think of it like an adventure! We can do anything we want to without being nagged about it." He gave Rose a big grin, which she returned. "So, which way do we go?"

Rose focused on the area around them. They had landed on the outskirts of a village, the trees above them blocking the sun. She felt the strength of the Force pulling her towards the village.

"Maybe that way?" Rose said. She pulled the hood of her brown cloak over her face, concealing her identity. Obi-Wan followed her lead and the two set out for the village. The dirt of the road kicked up behind them in small clouds as they made their way across the path. Rose heard the engines of the aircraft rev up behind her, causing the pair to halt in her tracks.

"Is that…?" she began.

"Yup."

"They wouldn't, would they?"

"They are," the two younglings turned on their heels, their mouths gaping as they saw their one ride leaving. Rose began to chase after it, but Obi-Wan caught her arm.

"Master Yoda is taking this lesson a little too far," he said. "This is not how I pictured this day going."

" _Think of it like an adventure_ ," Rose scoffed, pulling her cloak around her even tighter. "I have a bad feeling about this." The sun was setting over the town, and the light hues of twilight were beginning to form

"Coming, night is, hrrmm?" she said, mimicking Master Yoda's harsh, crunchy voice.

"I noticed. Got any credits on you?"

"Enough for a room for a few days," Rose said, pulling out the credits in her pocket. She tossed them lightly before pocketing them once again. "A cheap room, I should add."

"We won't be able to look for your mystery caller until morning. I heard nights are dangerous on Dantooine. I say we use this time to find shelter and then search for it in the morning," Obi-Wan walked towards the village. Rose stuck close to his side and found a feeling of security there. She saw the locals give them dirty looks as they packed up their kiosks, most likely setting home for the day. There were cottage-like huts on either side of them that were constructed of a nice, smooth stone. Obi-Wan led them to one with a sign out the front of it.

"I think it's an inn. My Huttese is a little rusty," he said as they pushed the wooden door away. The inside was nearly void of all light, save for a small skylight in the middle of the pointed roof. It seemed deserted other than a protocol droid who was approaching them.

"Hello. My master is out. How may I be of service?" it asked. It moved with rigid motions as it spoke, trying to mimic those of a human.

"We need a room for the night," Obi-Wan responded. Rose pulled out the credits from her pocket and offered them to the droid. It looked at them for a moment before taking them in its hand and ushering the two younglings to a room.

"Oi, dork," Rose whispered. "You see that flower thing over the doorway?" Obi-Wan turned his head slightly as they were led by the droid, observing the flower-like insignia that was over the main entrance, carved into a piece of wood.

"Yeah, I see it. What of it? And stop calling me dork."

"On Varia, the Royal Guard would put those over the doorways of their homes as a way to symbolize their power. By the Force, I think we're already where we need to be."

"Damn, I'm just that good. I think would very much like to meet the owner of this place," said Obi-Wan, stroking his chin. They arrived at their room which was situated deep under the main floor. The droid shut the door behind them, scuttling back down the hall. The room itself was nicer than what Rose was expecting, but not by much. A single bed with red covers took up the majority of the square room and a makeshift, wooden excuse for a drawer sat next to it.

"No place like home," Rose mumbled sarcastically as she collapsed back onto the bed. Obi-Wan fell next to her, closing his eyes.

"Bunch of kids buying a hotel room," he said. "Not shifty at all."Rose laughed quietly to herself. She heard a storm overhead, the thunder thrashing the world around them.

"So you think he was from Varia?" Obi-Wan yawned, rolling over so he was facing Rose. She turned to face him as well, propping herself up on her arm.

"Maybe. I think we are in the right place. I feel that all-powerful mojo everyone keeps talking about pulling me here. Good choice, Obi-Wan," she said, rolling onto her back. Obi-Wan yawned again and pushed himself farther up onto the bed, pulling the covers along with him.

"Sweet dreams," Rose joked. A low groan came from Obi-Wan as he pulled the covers over his face, using the Force to dim down the lights. Rose only chuckled to herself and moved off the bed. "I'm going to have a look around and see if I can't find anything." This warranted another groan from Obi-Wan. Rose left their room, careful to close the door quietly behind her. She set out down the hallway, observing the many markings that covered the wall of the modest inn. Tapestries hung on either side of her that depicted epic battles between good and evil.

One photo in particular captured her interest. In it, Rose saw a single man standing on a ledge, a lightsaber in hand. He was facing off against a dragon-like creature, its long horns alone enough to send shivers down Rose's spine. She squinted as her eye caught something in the corner of the picture. It was a little, round blue ball that almost appeared as if it were glowing.

"Interested in the kryat dragons, are you?" Rose turned and saw a man coming down the stairs. His rugged bronze hair fell to his shoulder, numerous beads and ropes braided into it. He was wiping a black substance off of his hands as he approached Rose, his silver eyes gleaming. A crest on his arm was visible underneath his rolled-up sleeves.

"Never heard of 'em," Rose said, turning back to the tapestry. "Pretty large and scary."

"Trust me, kid. They're even bigger in person," the man said, coming up behind her. "So, tell me, what brings a bunch of kids to my inn?"

"I could ask you the same question," Rose shot back, pointing to his arm. The mystery man gave an embarrassed laugh before pulling his sleeve all the way up, revealing the large crest embedded on it. The centerpiece of his crest was the flower Rose had seen above the door, but around it swirled designs she thought she recognized from somewhere else.

"I see you have one also. We're a rare species to find off-planet for personal reasons," he said with a smile. Rose felt uneasy, but slid the tunic up her arm. She saw the man's eyes grow large briefly before they returned to their normal size.

"Name's Ty. What did you say yours was?" Ty asked with a gulp, still eyeballing Rose's arm. Rose took a step back, running into the wall, and pulled her tunic back over her arm.

"I didn't. It's, uh, Anya. Yeah, Anya," Rose lied. Ty seemed trustworthy enough to her, but trust had never come easy to her.

"Anya, eh?" he said, scratching his neck. "Maybe you aren't who I think you are, then. If you and your friend are hungry, I'm about to start dinner. Please, make yourselves at home. The money you gave my droid is enough for about three days' worth of staying here. I don't run high prices."

"So you're the old man that runs the joint?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, me and the droid – I call her Dot – live and work here. She holds down the fort while I go work a stall in the market," Ty explained. "Care to join me for dinner?" Rose nodded hesitantly before turning to go back to her room, but she stopped halfway down the hall.

"Who'd you think I was?" she called out to him. Ty turned and looked at her, his eyes holding some kind of weight behind them. Rose felt an overwhelming amount of sadness coming from him, a feeling of guilt washing over her for asking him.

"No one, kid. Go get your friend. I'll get the food ready," he said abruptly, walking away.

"Crazy people," Rose shook her head and moved the door to reveal a sleeping Obi-Wan. He was face down on the bed, his mouth slightly agape with some drool coming out. His auburn hair was disheveled and fell lightly over his face. Rose scooted her way around the edge of the room to the side of the bed he was sleeping on.

"Obi-Wan," she whispered, leaning over him. He only slightly stirred in his sleep. "Oi, dork. Wake up," Rose poked his shoulder hard. Obi-Wan's sleepy eyes fluttered open to see Rose's anxious ones.

"That wasn't even twenty minutes, Rose," he said grumpily, hiding back under the covers. Rose caught him and pulled the covers off the bed, causing Obi-Wan to shoot her a dirty look.

"Okay, long story short, my name is Anya now," Rose said hurriedly, glancing over her shoulder to ensure Ty wasn't around. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "I lied to the innkeeper, told him a fake name. He's invited both of us to dinner. Come on, you dork. Get up already."

"If we're using fake names, I want one, too," Obi-Wan whined, slowly getting up from the bed.

"What about King Dork?"

"Rose."

"Fine. How about Ben?" she suggested, a hint of disappointment on her face.

"Ben it is."

Rose led him out of the room and back down the hallway she saw Ty disappear into. It wasn't hard to find him and Dot, as the smell from the kitchen was enough to draw the hungry younglings there. Ty was standing at a makeshift stone oven, pulling out what appeared to Rose to be bread. He smiled as they entered, gesturing to the stone table on the other side of the room. Obi-Wan and Rose took their seats, hungrily eyeing the fresh food.

"Just in time. I just pulled the bread out of the oven. Anya would you and, er –"

"Ben," Obi-Wan said quickly. Rose kicked him under the table, causing him to yelp a little. He mouthed "what?" to her, and she only widened her eyes at him, tilting her head slightly.

"Right. Would you and Ben like anything to drink?" Ty offered as he set the bread on the table. "Water, perhaps?"

"I would do for some water," Obi-Wan said. "And she would, too." Ty brought them both a cup of water and sat down across from the two, eyeing them both.

"A bunch of kids running around Dantooine is a dangerous thing," Ty observed, chewing his bread. "So, tell me. What would bring the two of you to the outer rim?" Obi-Wan and Rose looked at each other, daring the other to come up with a decent lie. However dangerous it was to be children running around, it was even more dangerous to admit you were Jedi without any kind of weapon to defend you.

"Personal business," Obi-Wan said, eyeing Ty suspiciously. He held up his hands in defense.

"A man's business is a man's business. I can respect that," Ty smirked and took another bite of his bread, the crumbs falling into his lap. "Feel free to use whatever facilities you find in the house. And if you try to steal anything, remember it won't be worth much on this rock." Ty went away, taking his plate with him, his bread still hanging out of his mouth.

"The mojo is strong with this place," Rose whispered to Obi-Wan.

"Up for some snooping tonight?" he asked. Rose felt a smile creep up on her face.

"Hell yeah."

"As soon as he's asleep, let's find what's pulling you here and then get out," Obi-Wan moved from his spot and placed his dishes on the stone countertops. She followed his lead and the two headed back to their room, waiting for nightfall.

Rose heard the storm outside raging on, the rain battering against the house. Using the darkness as their cover, Rose and Obi-Wan snuck their way back into the main living area of the inn. There were dim lights all around the room, betraying the younglings' cover of darkness. Rose allowed the Force to be her guide, leading her to a locked door. She rummaged around one of the pockets on her belt before producing a slim device. Sliding it into the door's key port, she heard a sharp click before the door slid open, revealing a dark passageway. They both gave each other a look before descending down the stairs.

"How the heck did you do that?"

"Everyone gets one in the Shadow Dwellers. It's like a super master card that can get you in a hell of alot o' places," Rose explained, sliding the keycard back into one of her belt pockets

The temperature began rapidly dropping as they crept along the walls, the air growing stingier the farther they went. The stairway wound endlessly on, their only light source – the lights from the living area – now gone as they swirled their way down the steps, careful to not misplace a foot.

"Whatever – _who_ ever – it is better be down here," Obi-Wan whispered into Rose's ear. She pulled her cloak tighter around her body, happy she brought it with her. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, had insisted he wouldn't need his, and was shivering violently with each step they took. Taking pity on her friend, Rose moved one of her shoulders out from her cloak. The Temple had given her one that was a little too big (despite it being the smallest size), which now worked to her advantage. Stopping, Rose wrapped the other half around Obi-Wan's shoulders, the warmth allowing him to cease his shivering. He mumbled a quiet "thank you" before the two continued on, supporting each other with each step. When the staircase finally ended, they were met with an illuminated pathway that seemed to go on endlessly.

"What kind of weird stuff is this guy into?" Rose asked as they walked past numerous displays. They were filled with everything between weapons, maps, and even animal bones. A slight twinkle on the other end of the hall caught her eye, and Rose moved towards it, dragging Obi-Wan along with her. There was a brown casket with a golden lock on the front, sealing away potential thieves. Rose picked the lock on the casket. With a little help from Obi-Wan, they managed to lift the heavy lid, revealing two small orbs in the bottom. They glowed a deep blue, their cores black as the night. Rose reached in and picked them up, nearly dropping them at the sound of a voice behind them.

"Looking for something?"


	7. Chapter 7: Family

"I can explain -" Rose began, but Ty held up a hand to stop her. He walked over and took the two orbs from Rose, carefully rolling them around in his hands.

"Do you know what these are?" he asked, his eyes glued to them. Rose looked at Obi-Wan, but he only shook his head.

"Not really, no," she admitted. Ty motioned for them to follow him. They continued down the hallway in an uncomfortable silence, Ty leading them farther down. When they came to the end, they were met with a large metal door. Ty pulled a slick key from his pocket and the door slid open, revealing a small circular room with a hologram table in the middle. He placed the two orbs on the table, letting them roll around. He took a seat in a nearby chair and motioned for Rose and Obi-Wan to do the same.

"Cut the shit, kids," Ty said, his eyes narrowing on the two children sitting across from him. Rose felt Obi-Wan shift uncomfortably next to her and he leaned in to whisper to her.

"I think we should tell him the truth," Obi-Wan said. Rose nodded back and opened her mouth to speak, but it was Obi-Wan's voice that sounded first.

"We're younglings from the Jedi Temple. We're looking for something my friend here was looking for, as something was calling to her. I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is Rose Amaha," Ty's eyes narrowed onto Rose as Obi-Wan explained their situation, the same weight behind them she saw before in the hallway. Rose, too, eventually drowned out Obi-Wan's voice, and turned her eyes to observe the man before them. His once tall figure was now slumped over in his chair, his shoulders hunched. His silver eyes bore bags underneath them, as if they had spent many nights awake. Rose's eyes drifted down to his arm, looking closer at the symbols on it. There, right above the flower, she saw the one symbol that mattered. It was the symbol of her family's crest.

"Rose?" Ty croaked out. Rose thought she saw tears pooling at his eyes, but they soon disappeared with a large swallow. Obi-Wan stopped talking and looked back and forth between Rose and Ty, sensing the tension in the air.

"You look so much like your mother," Ty said, getting up from his spot and kneeling in front of Rose. She was at a loss for words, not really sure how to process what was happening. Obi-Wan just watched quietly, as he was at the same loss for words that Rose was.

"I've searched for you throughout the entire galaxy," he elaborated. "When your mother and sister were all killed, _they_ took you, wanting to exploit you for your powers. Your father told me to watch over you if something was to happen to him, but by the time I got there…" Rose saw a tear roll down his cheek, landing on the cold stone floor below. "Your father was a good man, Rose."

"Who are you?" Rose asked, eyeing the crest still. He followed her gaze and laughed slightly.

"I'm your uncle. I worked for the Royal Guard at the time of the attack. I was at the palace, making sure nothing happened to the Queen. When I heard the outer villages were being attacked, I knew I had to return home. By the time I got there, you were already gone. They had wiped out the entire village, including your mom and sister. I don't know where my brother is. You were assumed dead, but I knew better. I searched for you endlessly, Rose. Eventually, age got the better of me. I settled down here, on Dantooine, trying to start a new life," Ty moved from his spot and picked the orbs back up from the table. "That crest of yours – you must keep it hidden, Rose. There are people who would have you dead because of it. I can't really explain, as it's something you have to figure out for yourself, but I can help you down the right path," Ty offered the orbs to Rose, who hesitantly took them.

"Do you know what these are?" he questioned her, moving back to his chair. Rose shook her head sheepishly, the orbs still seeming as if they were calling out to her.

"They're called krayt dragon pearls," Ty explained. Obi-Wan, who had remained quiet this whole time, let a small gasp out.

"These are krayt dragon pearls?" Obi-Wan said in disbelief. "I imagined them to be a lot bigger than this." Ty only laughed at him, the mood of the room brightening.

"Yes, they are. Krayt dragons use these to help them eat. I believe these are the things that have been calling to you. Some people think they have special abilities or something ridiculous like that. They've been in our family for as many generations as I can remember. They used to belong to my brother," said Ty. "I want you to have them, Rose."

Rose's eyes went wide. She looked at Obi-Wan, who gave her a shrug. Rose pocketed the two pearls, not wanting to drop or lose them. She saw a smile appear on Ty's face, and she mirrored it, overjoyed to be reunited with lost family. She moved over and hugged the man, who swept her up in a big bear hug. The two of them stayed like that for a little while, taking in the moment.

"You should go, my dear," Ty whispered into her ear. He set her down and motioned for Obi-Wan to come over. Setting a hand on one of their shoulders, he squatted down so he was eyelevel with them.

"Obi-Wan, was it? I need to ask a favor of you. I need you to look after my niece. I am no Jedi, but I know of the Force, and I can see that your two paths are intertwined together. I know not what the future will hold for you two, but I can feel something dark in the galaxy that will come in the following years. Be on your toes, young ones. Trust no one but yourselves. Now, come. We need to get you back to the Temple. I have a ship the two of you will be able to use. Either of you know how to pilot?" Ty said, moving from his spot. Before they could answer, he ushered the kids out of the room, being sure to seal the door behind them. They moved back down the hallway and up the winding staircase, the two younglings basking in the warmth of the inn.

"Aren't you coming with us?" Rose asked as Ty quickly pushed them into the hangar, heading towards a small two seater spacecraft. The two children clambered in, strapping themselves into the craft.

"I'm afraid I cannot," Ty said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the credits they had given him earlier. Rose noticed how there seemed to be more in the pile than they had given him. "My path is here on Dantooine. Yours is with the Jedi, Rose. Both of your paths are. That is a place I cannot follow you to. Now, go, but always remember I'll be here if you need anything, kiddo. We shall see each other again."

"Wait, I have so many questions –," she was cut off by his smiling face. She understood now – it was all something she was going to have to figure out on her own. Rose was confused by the secrecy behind the information, but kept it to herself as the window lowered itself down around them. Obi-Wan was in the pilot's seat and flew them out of the hangar, narrowly missing the door. Rose felt the queasiness of her stomach grow the higher they went, but it soon subsided as they made their way into open space, the stars of the systems twinkling around them. Obi-Wan set the coordinates for Coruscant, and they soon made their jump into light speed.

"See? An adventure," Obi-Wan joked. Rose merely kicked his seat, a little annoyed she couldn't find out more about what her path was in the universe. She pulled the two orbs out of her pocket, inspecting them closely. Obi-Wan, not paying attention to the ship as it was on auto-pilot, took out his crystal as well, the two blues illuminating the cabin.

"You know you can use those in lightsabers, right?" Obi-Wan said, looking up at her pearls. Rose gave him a funny look, asking for more explanation. "The pearls – you have to tune them with the Force in order to use them in a lightsaber, but only truly experienced Jedi can do that."

"I'll keep 'em with me," Rose said quietly. "Kind of a quirky guy, don't you think? The 'darkness in the galaxy that will come' thing."

"What do you mean?" he asked, opening a food bar and beginning to eat it.

"Ty – he talked about all of that doom and gloom. What do you think he meant by it?" Rose asked, snatching a piece of his bar and popping it into her mouth.

"It's just a bunch of jibberish, Rose. The Republic has been at peace for over a thousand years now. It's going to take a lot more than the ramblings of the uncle you just met to convince me of some impending doom," he said with a matter-of-fact tone. As they reached the planet of Coruscant, Obi-Wan dropped the ship out of light speed. They radioed into the Jedi Temple, and after a short explanation about how Master Yoda left them on Dantooine, they were given permission to land. They were greeted in the Temple's hangar by an exasperated Bant, who threw her arms around Rose.

"Oh my goodness, you're alive! I thought Master Yoda was crazy when he started pulling away! I told him to turn back, but he kept insisting it was going to be some amazing lesson for the two of you! Oh, Obi-Wan, I've never been happier to see your silly self!" Bant let go of Rose and flung her arms around Obi-Wan, who was squirming to try and get free of her iron grip. Rose was whooping and hollering when Master Yoda approached them.

"Find what you are looking for, you have?" he asked, leaning on his cane. Rose nodded and pulled out the two pearls from her bag. He looked at them with a smile before motioning for her to walk with him. Rose left Obi-Wan gasping for air from Bant's hug and followed the Grand Master down the elegant halls of the Temple.

"Found a lot more than I bargained for," Rose said a bit sheepishly. She peered down at the pearls. "Obi-Wan said something about having to tune these in order to make them work. I don't know the first thing –"

"Learn, you will. Teach you how, Master Windu will, but not today. Trouble you, something else does?" Yoda said, leading them into the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Greenery grew all around them, illuminated by the natural light of Coruscant's sun. The light appeared to twinkle off of the numerous waterfalls, sending fractals of light all around the room.

"We met someone on that rock. Someone from my family," Rose began to explain. "He warned Obi-Wan and I of some bad shit that was coming. Do you know what that means?" Yoda scrunched his face, thinking hard for a moment.

"A long journey, you have had. Rest now, you and Obi-Wan should. Begin your training tomorrow, we will," Yoda began walking away, leaving Rose with her burning questions.

"Wait, Master! What does it all mean?" she called after him, but he ignored her question, his own troubles and fears beginning to simmer to the surface. Rose decided to drop it, thinking this was beyond her understanding. She walked over to one of the edges of the fountains and sat down on the lip, staring at her reflection in the water. In it, she saw her normal self: long blonde hair, green eyes, and a short, slim figure. Although she had gained weight since she had come to the Temple, her body was still slim enough to where it almost appeared unhealthy. Rose was just grateful for the food and warm bed. It had never occurred to her that she might still have family alive somewhere out there in the universe. She saw the face of Bant appear next to her, her eyes full of worry.

"Hey, Bant," Rose said with a light smile. Her friend sat on the edge of the fountain, following Rose's eyes down to the reflection.

"Obi-Wan is worried about you. He said you met your uncle on your trip," Bant said, twiddling her webbed fingers around.

"No big deal," Rose said blandly, twirling a strand of her hair.

"He's your family, Rose, and now you left him again -" Bant began, but was cut off by Rose's intense glare. "Sorry. I didn't mean to pry." Bant left Rose with her thoughts at the fountain, a new wave of worry for her friend following her out.

Rose turned back to the reflection, splashing it in frustration. She had never been good with talking to people – the job had never required her to play well with others. She had naturally gotten along with Coab and Kator, as their laid-back natures countered nicely with her ferocious one. Rose pulled her legs up to her chest and closed her eyes. Having seen some other masters do it before, Rose decided to give meditation a try. After a few minutes of silence, Rose began growing more and more impatient, not feeling the almighty "Force" overcome her. Her mind became heavier, and she soon found herself asleep, only waking up to the gentle shaking of Obi-Wan.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," he teased, helping Rose up from her spot. Her eyes adjusted to the dark room, the light of the sun now gone. A couple of hanging lights were the only things allowing Rose to see.

"Whoops," Rose said with a yawn, stretching her sore legs.

"Come on, Rose. You need some rest," Obi-Wan began to lead Rose away, but she stopped him with a hand on his own.

"Thanks."

"For what?" Obi-Wan laughed.

"For going on an adventure with me," Rose said, feeling a slight blush creep its way up to her cheeks. Obi-Wan put his free hand over the one that was gripping his other and looked her square in the eyes.

"Don't mention it. Now, come on. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. It won't do us any good to do it on no sleep."


	8. Chapter 8: Concentration

"Today we will begin the construction of your lightsabers," Master Windu began explaining in a dry, unamusing Tone. Obi-Wan, Rose, and Bant were all sitting on the floor listening to the lecture of the Master Jedi. Obi-Wan, leaning on his hand, began to doze off. Rose quickly swatted his arm out from under him, jutting him awake, just as Master Windu turned to face them.

"You must have the utmost concentration in your meditation. It will take as long as it needs to. When you have your crystals ready, the parts to build your lightsaber will be at the worktable. You can choose to create whatever design you like, but if you mess up, you have to start the construction from the beginning. Any questions?" The younglings shook their heads quickly before setting out to their worktables, pulling out their crystals in the process. Before the lesson, Master Windu had discussed with Rose how to tune her pearls, should she ever decide she wanted to - a task she wasn't looking forward to. He also told her how much longer she would be sitting at the construction table, as constructing one saber could take hours – even days – and now Rose had the task before her of constructing two, one for each of the crystals she had found on Ilum. As she began her meditation, she felt her friends' frustration through the Force, slightly off balancing her concentration.

"I don't even know how to read this thing," Obi-Wan commented, holding up the plans for his lightsaber. "Hey, Rose, how are you doing over there?" He laughed at her feeble attempt to throw a screw in his direction in annoyance. He caught it easily in the air, but Rose pushed his stool over with the Force, causing him to topple over onto the floor. She laughed as he huffed and returned to his station, grateful for the peace and quiet so she could concentrate. For the next several hours, the three younglings worked relentlessly trying to fit the pieces of their sabers together. After a few hours, Rose glanced behind her at Obi-Wan.

There were strips of metal scattered all around his work place, and Rose was unsure how he knew which pieces he was going to need next. Despite his cluttered station, he had a cleared area where he was doing the actual construction, and Rose could see he was about halfway done. He had pieces of metal suspended in the air above him, a strip also in his mouth. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he snapped the crystal into its new home, a grin breaching his own face.

"Rose. Bant. Check this out," he boasted, holding up his half-completed saber. It was the mere skeleton of what would be his Jedi weapon, but its elegance was already apparent. The hilt was thick, but it pinched at the top to a bell-like shape, where Rose assumed the blade would come out of. Him and Bant began a long discussion of the styles of their sabers while Rose glanced over at Bant's table. On it, there was a sort of organized madness, as all of the parts were separated by types. Screws were with screws and panels were with panels. She saw Bant was far behind Obi-Wan, but she was still ahead of Rose in the completion of her sabers. Rose sighed and turned back to her space.

Rose wasn't sure exactly when, but she did manage to fall asleep during her intense working session. She opened her eyes to the peering morning light of a new day. Looking at her workplace, she saw someone had left a plate of food for her, its contents still warm. She hungrily devoured it, wanting the energy to resume her work. She looked back at her friends' stations. Obi-Wan's station was empty, the mess that once cluttered it now cleared and gone. Bant was still at her's, muttering frustrated curses under her breath in a language Rose couldn't understand.

"Having troubles?" Rose piqued from behind, causing Bant to jump in her seat.

"Rose! You're awake!" Bant exclaimed, still tinkering away with her saber. Rose could see it was near completion, but Bant was having troubles connecting all of the necessary parts together.

"Yeah, I guess I dozed off. Who left the grub?" she asked, motioning to her empty plate. Bant shook her head.

"Obi-Wan came in and left it about a half hour ago, I think. He brought me some, too. Oh, I don't know, time has just seemed to all merge together. He finished… oh… maybe six hours ago or something like that?" Bant said, slight annoyance in her voice. "I'm so tired, Rose. I just want to get this done."

"Does wonders for the mind," Rose mimicked Master Windu's voice in a teasing manner, sticking her nose in the air. "You want to do it right, if the thing is going to be your trusted weapon." Bant laughed at her impression, turning back to her work and muttering something about energy modulation circuits. Rose went back to the construction of her own sabers, wanting to make them uniquely hers. Basing her design off of one the pre made models, Rose altered the coloring slightly from one of silver to a copper hue using unfinished strips of metal as her body pieces. She used the same method Obi-Wan did, suspending the necessary parts in the air as she moved the components together. She decided to do both sabers at the same time, not only to save time, but to also ensure they were identical to each other. They would differ only in the final touches stage.

With painstaking patience, Rose eased the pieces together, trying her best to follow the base model of the diagram. Rose didn't notice when Bant left the room, as she was too invested in her own work. For what seemed like hours, Rose used every ounce of focus she had to figure out what a "diatium power cell" was and where it was supposed to go in the blade, and what the difference between the "energy modulation circuits" and the "cycling field energizers" was. Rose had zapped her fingers a few times while she was connecting the wires that ran up the weapon. She heard the door as it slid open behind her, assuming it was Master Windu coming to check on her progress.

"If you're coming here to check on me, I'm fine," she muttered out. She was surprised to see that it was Obi-Wan, who was carrying a glass with him, his own new lightsaber dangling from his hip.

"You need to drink something, Rose," he said, setting it down at her station while looking at her progress. "Nice job. I like what you've done with the colors."

"Thanks. I always liked the color red," Rose said, screwing in one of the multiple screws that were holding the bare bones of her sabers together. She placed the crystals into the crystal holders, praying they wouldn't fall out. When they didn't, she breathed a sigh of relief and dropped everything onto the table, grabbing the glass that Obi-Wan had brought for her.

"How was your nap?" he smirked, playing with a screw on the workbench. "Every time I see you, you're sleeping. What a lazy bum."

"Don't make me throw this at you again," Rose threatened him with her screwdriver. He held up his arms in defense, not wanting to give her reason to pull through on her threat. "I don't think I'm even close to being done. I don't even know what the heck this thing is," Rose said, picking up a circular piece of metal.

"Power adjuster," Obi-Wan said, pulling up a stool next to her. He leaned his arm on the table, propping himself up so he was facing Rose. "Need some help?"

"I like to call it _direction_ ," Roes corrected, secretly glad for the company. The two conversed as Rose continued to construct her sabers, Obi-Wan occasionally pointing out which parts she needed to assemble next. Obi-Wan asked her questions about her past, and Rose answered them to the best of her abilities. She explained how the beads in Ty's hair were a symbol on her planet of special occasions. Each bead, string, or bone fragment in his hair was reminiscent of a battle he had fought in, a life he had saved, or perhaps even a place he had traveled to.

"It's kind of like a story," Rose tried to simplify the objects' meanings. "If you were to crack open a grave of any Varian and look at the stuff around their head, you could tell what their story was and what they did in life. You don't start wearing them until you've reached 'adulthood.'"

"'Adulthood?'" Obi-Wan mirrored.

"Boys from my planet become men at the age of eighteen, while girls are considered women at sixteen. In the past, it was considered the ideal age to do the, uh, _dirty stuff_. It's no longer like that, but they kept the idea of reaching adulthood from it. There's this big ceremony and whatnot," Rose explained.

"Why don't your people travel into the universe? They obviously value knowledge and culture over everything else, so why don't they explore more?" Obi-Wan questioned as he looked at the nearly-completed sabers suspended in the air.

"I don't know," Rose admitted as she welded two parts together. "We used to, but something changed all of that. I don't really know much more about my planet, if I'm being honest. I was taken two years ago – before I could learn very much. I just remember asking someone about the things in the hair. Here, I almost think I'm done. I just need to fit all of these pieces together." Rose suspended the sections of her sabers into the air, five main sections for each one. She moved the pieces slowly together with the utmost precision, not wanting to mess up at the very end. Everything slid together with a nice click. Her lightsabers were finished, but they were not complete.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked as Rose brought out a small tool. The tip was red hot, ready to be used.

"Baking a pie," Rose threw at him sarcastically as she began drawing on each of her sabers. On one, she drew her family's crest, using her arm as a guide. All around it, she swirled patterns full of flowers – including a lotus flower – and other various forms plant life from different worlds, covering the entire metal section. On the other, she etched the symbol of the Jedi Temple with a small inscription in a language Obi-Wan could not read.

"What does it say?" He asked, picking up the newly decorated saber. Rose only laughed at him, confusion evident on his face.

"I'll tell ya one day, Kenobi. Maybe," she said with a smile down at the saber, the secret of what it said locked away in her mind. "What color do you think it will be?"

"I don't know. Blue?" Obi-Wan suggested. Rose took her sabers and hopped off of the workbench, standing in the middle of the room.

"I think so, too," Rose said. "Moment of truth. Let's see if I put these suckers together correctly." Rose pressed the buttons on her sabers, and they responded immediately. Two glowing, white sabers popped out of the hilts, their light enough to brighten the room blindingly.

"I've never seen white sabers before," Obi-Wan said in amazement, inspecting the sabers closer. "They're beautiful."

"I didn't know they could come in white," Rose said with as much disbelief in her voice. The quiet _vrrmm_ of the lightsabers – _her_ lightsabers – was enough to mesmerize the younglings. Master Windu walked in, a light smile dancing across his face.

"Well done, young one," he complimented, admiring the beauty of Rose's sabers. "You'll have to learn how to fight duel-wielding. I have a feeling you'll catch on quite quickly, though. Now, Master Yoda requests both of your presence in the Council Chambers." With that, Master Windu left the two younglings to find their way to the Council Chambers, neither one of them sure what for.

"Quick, what are all of the bad things we've both done since I've gotten to the Temple?" Rose whispered to Obi-Wan, who only shrugged.

"I don't know. Oh, do you think they'll be angry about the –"

"No, there's no way they found out about that. It only happened the fourth day I was here. They wouldn't suspect us," Rose tried to calm her own conscience with logic.

"I hope you're right. I don't think they'd be too happy about it." The two younglings walked into the nearly empty Council Chambers – empty except for Master Yoda in his round cushioned seat and Master Qui-Gon standing behind him.

"Hello, younglings," he greeted warmly, motioning for them to stand in front of him. "Watch you these past couple of days, the Council has. An experiment, we have for the two of you." The two children watched as Qui-Gon moved to hand each of them a small, black stone.

"There was a prophecy a few hundred years ago of two kindred spirits," Qui-Gon began to explain. "Ever since Rose has come to the Temple, there has been a strong movement in the Force, and we believe you two are the two souls the prophecy was referring to."

"Okay, great? What does that mean, exactly?" Rose asked, eyeing her stone. She could see that it was a piece of a bigger part, and after looking at Obi-Wan's, she could tell that they had once been connected.

"Train together, you two will. Grow together with time and fulfill the prophecy, you shall," Yoda explained, leaving more questions than answers in Rose's mind.

"Great, so I have to be stuck with this dork for the rest of my life," Rose teased, nudging Obi-Wan with her arm jokingly.

"Um, I don't mean to be the voice of doubt in this," Obi-Wan started. "But which prophecy is this? What is this supposed 'destiny' we will be fulfilling?"

"Dark times ahead of us, there are. Dangerous times for us all. Speak of a light that will restore balance in the end, the prophecy does. Believed to be the kindred spirits, the two of you are."

"Er, okay. Let's say I believe you - what about the rocks?" Rose asked, holding up her half of the stone.

"That is where the experiment comes in, young ones. Should you both have masters and continue on the path to Jedi Knighthood, the Council will ask you to enter a soul pact. It is an inseparable bond between two people that link their fates together permanently, and you should know that it does come with some benefits. We will discuss said benefits should the two of you accept. Likewise, it is my belief that the two of you should be aware of the risks that come with such an attempt at binding souls. It is quite possible the two of you wouldn't survive such a procedure, should your two souls not actually be compatible. Additionally, by binding your souls together, it binds the fate of one to the other. Should one of you fall in combat, the other will suffer a similar fate almost simultaneously. It's a risk – one that has never been successfully attempted. But, for fear of the future, the Council believes it will be to the benefit of you two to try, but that all depends on you two," Qui-Gon explained.

"Yeah, I've only known Obi-Wan for a week. There's no way in all of Alderaan that I'm going to -," Rose began, but she was silenced by Qui-Gon's raised hand.

"Rest assured, child. We have no intentions of sending a bunch of children through such a procedure. If you ever should attempt this, you both will be well into your Padawan years at the earliest – perhaps even when you both are Jedi Knights. Now, this is all assuming you both make it to Jedi Knighthood. It is still possible neither of you will have a master before you turn thirteen, in which this conversation would be pointless. The Council felt it was necessary to inform you of said prophecy in advance so the two of you would have time to reflect on it in the coming years. Now, these rocks represent something. When the time is right – _if_ the time is _ever_ right – the two rocks will join together, and that is when we will know a bond can be attempted. Through them, you two will always be able to communicate with each other."

"Seems like a lot of what-if's at this point," Rose mumbled. "Awful lot of uncertainty."

"Yes, well, there is no perfect prediction," Qui-Gon said. "If you two don't have any more questions, then you are dismissed." The two younglings respectfully bowed to the masters before leaving the chambers.

"Can you believe it?" Rose muttered to Obi-Wan as they left the chambers. "You and I in a soul bond? Sounds like something a Varian would make up! Doesn't that sound a little sketchy to you?"

"Would it really be so bad?" Obi-Wan asked, looking down at his boots. "Either way, we still have years to think about it."

"Yeah, I suppose," agreed Rose.

"Hey, I want to show you something," Obi-Wan said, taking a hard right down a hall Rose had never been down.

"Show me what?"

"You'll see. Just think of it like an adventure," with a wink, Obi-Wan led Rose farther into the Temple.


	9. Chapter 9: Training

"Oi, dork, where are you taking me?" Rose whined as Obi-Wan pulled her by the arm down the halls, the light of the sunset peeking in through the windows. He brought them to the lifts, pushing a button and then positioning himself in front of the panel, obstructing Rose's ability to see which floor they were going to. Her eyes narrowed at him as the elevator quickly made its way to the upper floors.

"Why so much secrecy, Kenobi?"

"Why so much curiosity, Amaha?" his eyes narrowed back at hers and he crossed his arms across his chest. The lift came to an abrupt halt and the doors swung open, revealing the familiar room that Rose had done her tests when she had first come to the

"The training room?" Rose spat out, stepping off of the elevator. "I didn't know you could get in it this way."

"There's like five entrances," Obi-Wan said, moving to the center of the domed room. The statues continued to loom over them menacingly as Obi-Wan turned to face Rose, dropping his cloak at his feet. "Up for some sparring?"

"I don't know how to use these things!" Rose said, coming to meet him at the center, dropping her own brown robe.

"Well then you can practice on me. That's the point of this room, isn't it? It is the training room," Obi-Wan countered, unclasping his saber from his belt. He drew it, its blue light twinkling in the darkness. Rose copied him, but only drew one of her sabers, its white light countering his. They began circling each other around the center, daring the other to strike first.

"Feel the Force move through you," Obi-Wan copied the same speech Master Yoda had given him when he first started off, slowly circling closer and closer to Rose, closing the space between them. "Allow it to guide your movements." He struck down at her, which she quickly blocked. The two sabers sizzled together, both young Jedi struggling for the upper hand. Rose felt her foot beginning to give out below her on the slick tile, and she slid out from under his force, narrowly missing the swipe of Obi-Wan's saber.

"Little close there, don't you think?" Rose said, a little out of breath. She saw a cocky smirk cross Obi-Wan's face as he twirled his lightsaber around his hand. The two continued to duel off against each other, beads of sweat gathering on both of their foreheads. Rose used the Force as her guide, as Obi-Wan instructed, and was able to counter his offensive strikes.

"Let's work on your stance. Since you're dual wielding, I would say you would use Form Six of the lightsaber combat styles, but honestly, it's something you'll have to discuss with a master," Obi-Wan breathed, trying to catch his breath.

"Wait, there are different lightsaber combat styles? I thought it was just a bunch of feeling and swinging," Rose asked, pulling out her second saber as beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Obi-Wan nodded.

"Absolutely. There's about seven of them, I think, but as I said, you'll have to discuss what is best for you when a master chooses you."

"If a master chooses me," Rose corrected.

"When a master chooses you," Obi-Wan corrected back. "I don't have any doubt about it. You're already at an advanced stage as far as combat goes – far beyond any of the other younglings. I can keep up because Master Yoda has trained me, but I don't see any reason why a master wouldn't pick you."

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a voice called from one of the doorways. "It's Oafy and the newbie."

"Who's this moof-milker?" Rose whispered to Obi-Wan as she retracted her sabers, straightening her back a little bit. An uneasy feeling filled her as the boy with the white hair approached them, his piercing white eyes feeling like they were striking her soul.

"Bruck Chun," Obi-Wan spat out, his saber still drawn. Rose could almost feel the venom in his tone, slightly taken aback by his normally laid-back nature.

"Oafy, it's so glad to see you," Bruck spat back. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting your little friend here," he addressed Rose, nodding into a small bow. Rose didn't bow back.

"What do you want, Bruck?"

"Why, I just want to meet the new Initiate. Do you have a problem with that, Kenobi?" Bruck's eyes targeted Rose. She stepped forward, blocking Obi-Wan.

"Rose, now scoot" Rose turned her back on Bruck, trying to end the conversation. Not wanting to end their training, and also not wanting Obi-Wan to do something he might regret later, Rose drew both of her sabers and moved back to the center of the training room.

"White sabers, eh? Who did you have to kill for those beauties?" Bruck asked, jealousy basically dripping out of him.

"How about you see for yourself, moof-milker?" Rose shot back. Bruck drew his own training lightsaber, its crimson color overwhelming the room.

"Let's see what you've learned then, newbie," he challenged, swinging his blade at her. She managed to block the initial blow, but the sabers clashed dangerously close to her neck. He bore down with such power that Rose wasn't prepared to brace for, and his saber began to slice into her shoulder. She let out a holler of pain as the smell of burning flesh and hair filled her nose. She saw the deadly glare of Bruck's eyes as he stared back into hers. They were eyes she had seen before. They were the same eyes that Tamba had when he hurled himself at Qui-Gon and Rose in the alleyway before she came to the Temple. She fell down to her knees, the arm with the cut dropping the saber, leaving one arm to bear the full weight of Bruck's force.

"Rose!" Obi-Wan called after them, his drawn saber in hand. He hurled himself at Bruck, going on the offensive and swinging wildly at the blonde-haired boy, anger filling him. Bruck's attention turned from Rose and to Obi-Wan. "Don't you dare touch her!" Obi-Wan threatened.

"Who's going to stop me, Oafy? You?" Bruck badgered Obi-Wan as they fought, their boots squeaking on the floor.

"Don't wound my pride, dork. Stay outta this one," Rose called out, her shoulder feeling as if a million knives were sticking into it. Gritting her teeth, Rose hooked the saber she wouldn't be able to use into her belt and took the other into the fight, drawing it as she neared. Bruck saw her approaching figure and frowned, not anticipating for her to be able to get up.

"Persistent, I see," he mumbled, kicking Obi-Wan in the abdomen, causing him to topple back onto the approaching Rose. The two tumbled over each other onto the floor, Obi-Wan's elbow landing in Rose's shoulder, causing her to yelp in pain. Both of their sabers crashed around them, retracting immediately. Bruck stood over the two and laughed menacingly.

"Better luck next time, Oafy," he said, retracing his own saber and clipping it onto his belt.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Qui-Gon's voice bellowed from the doorway Bruck had entered from. Obi-Wan was desperately trying to calm Rose's wails of pain, placing her head in his lap as Qui-Gon made his way over to them. Bruck threw on the most innocent face he could, stuttering over his words.

"Master, I don't know what happened. I came and here and they started attacking me. I had to defend myself," Bruck started, but shut his mouth when Qui-Gon gave him a cold, disbelieving glare.

"We will talk later, Initiate Chun," he said coldly, helping Rose up.

"Holy Hell, that's a lot of burning feeling!" Rose felt the pain in her shoulder, but when she tried to move her fingers, there was nothing to feel. Panicked tears began to fill the child's eyes as she moved along to the elevator lift, Obi-Wan trying to soothe her.

"Obi-Wan, take Rose to the Halls of Healing. I will deal with Bruck and then come deal with the two of you," Qui-Gon scolded the children, watching as they disappeared to the elevator lift.

"Rose, I'm sorry, I didn't know he would be there," Obi-Wan began rambling apologies, but she cut him off with the lift of her good arm.

"Thanks for the lesson, Obi-Wan," she smiled, trying to lighten the situation. "I owe you, dork."

"You're going to be okay, Rose," he promised as the lift came to a halt. He led them to the Halls of Healing in the southwestern portion of the Temple, and a Twi'lek woman met them at the door.

"Master Che, my friend needs help," Obi-Wan said, handing Rose over to her. The Jedi Master scanned Rose over briefly before dismissing Obi-Wan with a flick of her wrist. Before he could protest, the Jedi was already whisking Rose away and out of sight.

"Leave me, Initiate Kenobi. We shall begin the healing process immediately. Come, child. We shall treat that shoulder of yours in no time," the Jedi led Rose over to a private room, the door sliding shut behind them. The healer spared no time but went straight to her work, helping Rose take off the singed tunic.

"So, you're the new Initiate I've heard about," The Jedi spoke as she worked, applying a sticky substance to Rose's shoulder, soothing the stinging pain. "Do you have a name?"

"Rose," the youngling replied, relaxing into the odd tickling sensation that was happening on her shoulder. "I'm going to guess you have a name as well?"

"I am Master Vokara Che. I am the Chief Healer here in the Halls of Healing. Pleasure to meet you," the Twi'lek said with a small smile, wrapping a bandage over Rose's torso. "Now, this will heal nicely, but you will have to stay in the Halls for a couple of days to ensure it heals properly. There was some severe nerve damage that will need to be addressed by the bacta. I will come and check on its progress in a couple hours. For now, relax and rest, young one." The Jedi Master left Rose's chambers as swiftly as she had entered them, most likely leaving to attend to her next patient. As ordered, Rose leaned back into her bed and relaxed, letting her eyes close. She felt the grips of sleep tug at her, and she allowed her body to rest.

Rose was awoken by the gentle knocking on her door. She gave a soft "come in" before the face of Master Qui-Gon entered, a look of seriousness etched into his features.

"Feeling better, young one?" he asked as he took a seat by her bedside. Rose nodded, noting how the feeling in her arm was returning slowly. It prickled like it was being poked by a million needles, but Rose was relieved nonetheless at being able to feel her arm again.

"There are some things we must discuss about the events that transpired yesterday. I would like you to tell me what happened, in your own words."

"Well, after Obi-Wan and I talked with you and Master Yoda in the Council Chambers, we went to the training room. I wanted to learn some techniques before I begun training and Obi-Wan taught me how to kick some ass. Trouble started when that Bruck kid showed up. We talked for a while, and some words were said on both sides, but then he attacked me! Look what he did to my shoulder, too! Obi-Wan fought him until you arrived. Those eyes that Bruck kid had… I've seen them before. They were the same eyes that Tamba had when he attacked us in the alleyway. I don't know what the moof-milker wanted, but I have a hunch he was attacking me just to make Obi-Wan upset. The way they talked… there was a lot of bad vibes between the two," Rose didn't feel a need to lie to the Jedi Master, but she didn't see the harm in twisting the truth a bit so the blame for them being in the training room – should it have been a problem – would fall on her instead of Obi-Wan.

"Interesting how both you and Obi-Wan have the same basic story but you each placed the blame on yourselves instead of the other," Qui-Gon stroked his chin, his eyes contemplative. "But never mind that. You have someone here who wishes to talk with you, Rose." Qui-Gon went into the hallway. Rose could hear muffled talking outside of her door before a Togruta walked through the door, her brown robes trailing behind her. Rose couldn't help but gawk slightly at her beauty. Her blue and white striped horns were an impressive height while her red skin contrasted nicely with the white spots around her eyes, the bones of some creature set around her forehead in small triangles. Beautiful ornaments hung from her forehead in true Togrutan beauty.

"Greetings, young one," she said, her voice calm and warm. "My name is Shaak Ti. I am a Jedi Knight here at the Temple. I have heard many things about you, Initiate Amaha. Tell me, what do you believe it means to be a Jedi?"

"Kick ass. Save people. Be a good person," Rose said. "Just be a good person in general"

"Certainly the most amusing answer I've ever gotten. Do you know what Padawan training entails?"

"Not really," Rose admitted sheepishly. "The old guys who run the place haven't really explained an awful much to me. It's all been a bunch of shifty, hidden messages and weird prophesies."

"Young one, I have a proposal for you – one that the Council has agreed upon. I would like to take you on as my Padawan learner, but you must understand that my teachings are… unconventional to those of the other Jedi Knights here at the Temple."

"I don't know the difference between 'conventional' or 'unconventional' here yet. I can hardly find my way from my room to the food area without getting lost." The Jedi Knight laughed at this, her face lifting into a warm, motherly smile.

"Should you be taken under my tutelage, we shall travel to my home planet of Shili. There, we will begin your training. I do not normally allow my Padawans to accept missions on the bequest of the Council, but for you I feel as if I need to make an exception, as the Council wishes for you and Initiate Kenobi to form a bond," Master Ti explained. "Will you join me, Initiate Rose, as my Padawan learner?"


	10. Chapter 10: Shili

Guys, you should be proud of me. I actually added "titles" to the chapters in addition to the whole "Chapter 1, 2, 3, blah blah blah." You can actually kind of tell what is happening in each chapter should you need to go back and reread something. Improvements, am I right? Before you know it, I'll be adding a cover (maybe in this lifetime, too!) Anyway, this next chapter will be one in which we will see Rose's progress as a Padawan learner under Shaak Ti's supervision. I will have you know, the research I have done into Shaak Ti has been super extensive, and I'm really trying to hold true to her training methods and how she's already had two prior Padawans. I really want the main storyline to focus around Rose and Obi-Wan's relationship, but part of her story is her journey to becoming a Jedi Master, and yeah, some of it has to be on her own. And that means it's away from Obi-Wan. There will be quite a gap of passage of time coming up in the next couple of chapters, just so you aren't surprised. I promise they will get back together and be that mischievous team I've worked to forge in the few days Rose has been at the Temple. Obviously, Rose has only been there for a few days, but I'm really trying to emphasize the amount of connection the two have already made in such a short amount of time and how it's almost "unnatural" – hence why the Council believes they're the prophesized soul people. As always, tips and reviews are always appreciated, and may the Force be with all of you lovely people. Enjoy!

\- The Awkward Author

"Well, how long will you be gone for?" Obi-Wan hounded Rose with questions as he sat by her bed in the medical wing, her shoulder fully healed. Master Che had given her the all-clear to leave just twenty minutes prior to Rose telling Obi-Wan the news of Master Ti taking her on as an apprentice and taking her to her home world of Shili.

"I don't know, Obi-Wan. Until my training is complete, I suppose," Rose said. She moved her shoulder around in its socket, relieved at her ability to relieve it of its stiffness.

"I told you that you would get a master, didn't I?" he said, his smile saying happiness, but his eyes betraying a bit of sadness. "I just… didn't know it would be this soon, and before I did."

"Don't get all sentimental on me, dork. We'll see each other again. I can feel it," Rose said, her sad eyes matching his. "Look, I don't really want to leave you – you're the closest thing I've had to a friend since I've gotten here."

"The rocks the Council gave us – do you still have your half?" Obi-Wan asked, taking out his half and putting it on the bed next to Rose. She reached over onto the side table where her belt and sabers were and reached into one of the pockets, producing the other half. While they didn't click together, Obi-Wan smiled. "We'll always have a connection, Rose – even when you're far away training in the wilderness of some foreign planet. We can keep in contact – I know we will be able to. We just need to figure out how these suckers work."

"We're smart enough to," Rose said, picking up her half of the stone and rolling it around between her fingers. "I'll see you when I get back. And we'll be better Jedi next time, too. I'll be good enough to kick your ass all the way to Tatooine. Master Ti says this is the hard part, but once I'm finished, I can come back and finish training here. It's possible we could go on assignments together when you get your master."

"I would very much like that," Obi-Wan said, beaming. "Well, I believe Master Ti is waiting for you in the hangars. I'll walk you there." Obi-Wan stood outside while Rose reassembled her outfit, pulling her light tunic over her shoulders and strapping her belt and sabers on. She went out the doors of the Halls of Healing and met with Obi-Wan, where they began their trek to the last place Rose would see of the Jedi Temple for a long while. The walk to the hangars was silent as the two made their way down the halls. Rose made sure to etch each detail into her brain – each face she passed by, every pillar that loomed over them, and, most importantly to her, the presence she felt with Obi-Wan, even as they walked in silence. Their friendship was solidified – that much she was sure of. She knew it was going to stand the tests of time and distance, and they would be able to pick up right where they left off when she returned. When they reached the doors to the hangar, Obi-Wan caught her arm and dropped something into her palm, closing her hand around it.

"For your hair," he said. Rose opened her palm, and in it was a small bead made of the bone of an animal Rose couldn't decipher. Tearing a piece of cloth off of her tunic, Rose braided the bead into a back segment of her hair, tying it off with the tan cloth, the color blending in against her light blonde hair. She took him into a hug before turning to leave for the hangar.

"Say goodbye to Bant for me. I wish I had time to talk with her, but Master Ti is waiting on me. Oh, and Obi-Wan," she said as the doors began to slide shut behind her. "May the Force be with you, dork."

"May the Force be with you, too, my friend," he finished, watching as her figure disappeared behind the hangar door. He pulled the black stone out of his pocket and twiddled it around in his fingers as Rose had in the medical halls while he walked back to his room.

"Padawan Amaha," Master Ti said as Rose approached their awaiting ship. Qui-Gon had been talking with her, smiling as he saw Rose.

"Congratulations, Padawan," he said. "Thought you would leave without saying goodbye to me?"

"How could I forget about my favorite old guy, Master?" Rose smirked. "To think I would do that."

"Indeed. May the Force be with you, Padawan," the Jedi Master bowed, and Rose bowed back in respect. She watched his figure retreat out of the hangar doors, his robes slightly swaying as he walked.

"Ready, Rose?" Master Ti asked as they boarded the ship. Rose nodded, a new sense of determination filling her. "I hope you have said all of your goodbyes. These will be hard times on Shili, but I believe you will find them beneficial."

"Thank you, Master. I have. Time for the fun stuff," Rose said as she felt the familiar feeling of the ship taking off below her. For once, Rose felt no fear as she peered down into the city of Coruscant. She wanted the image of the city to remain in her mind's eye, as she hoped to find solace in it in the coming years.

The training was harder than anything Rose had ever endured before. When they first arrived in Shili, Master Ti had taken away all comlinks and means of communication from Rose, except for the black rock, which Rose hid away from her. She also cut a small portion of Rose's hair and begun the famed Padawan braid, tying it off with green thread. Within the first week, Rose was already surviving off of the land in the deep wilderness of the planet Shili, killing only when it was necessary and using every part of the animal to her advantage. Master Ti emphasized the importance of patience when hunting, especially when you had no other weapon other than lightsabers. All hunting had to be done in close quarters, teaching Rose valuable saber skills.

With time, Master Ti began teaching Rose legitimate fighting techniques, borrowing teachings from Form Six, like Obi-Wan had told Rose she would use due to her dual-wielding technique, and from Forms Three and Four. Form three was a dangerous and invigorating acrobatic-style combat that used high-speed movements that, to an outsider, appeared wild and rushed. After the first week of training, Master Ti noticed Rose's natural heightened acrobatic skills, and decided that incorporating them into her fighting would be beneficial. Form Three, one that was more defensive, dealt primarily against the onslaught of blasters while centering the user into a state of non-aggression, a lesson Shaak Ti had deemed would be useful to Rose's spontaneous nature.

With grooming, Rose soon learned to be a patient Padawan – one that found serenity through herself and the world around her. Master Ti had recommended within the first few weeks for Rose to begin keeping a journal of their time on Shili. Rose, eager for some kind of relief from physical training, took to this new opportunity with open arms. Before she went to bed each day, she was sure to write down the lessons of the day into a makeshift journal she had made from the hide akul and the bark of nearby trees. She used the charcoal of the fire as a writing utensil and wrote for as long as there was something to write with. Each lesson was etched carefully into the journal's pages so Rose wouldn't forget them. Master Ti had made a point of emphasizing the need for being independent, but understanding the need for dependence among a group. She said it was vital for the individual to take care of itself, and that meant learning skills such as sewing, cooking, hunting, farming, healing, and combat, among many more. Among her teachings, Rose had also immersed herself into the pursuit of scholarly knowledge, reading the numerous books her master had brought along with them to the point she had them memorized. Rose was no longer the hot-headed child Qui-Gon had picked up in an alleyway, but instead a woman who had learned what it meant to be a Jedi.

At first, Rose heard nothing of what was happening at the Jedi Temple. She was in complete isolation. It wasn't until after a couple months of time in the wilderness did she hear a ringing coming from one of her pockets. It nearly drove her insane as she tried to distinguish its source, first trying to see if it was one of her lightsabers. It turned out that the black rock the Council was given seemed to speak to her in a voice that could only belong to Obi-Wan. Being sure her master wasn't around so she wouldn't take it away, Rose spoke back to the rock. It was a couple of days before she heard anything, but through it, she could hear Obi-Wan's voice, giving her updates on what was happening in his life. She learned of how Bruck Chum had confronted Obi-Wan in the Room of a Thousand Fountains in an ultimate test to see who was worthy of having a master, and it ultimately led to the discovery of his apprenticeship under the Dark Lord Xanatos. This news troubled Rose, but Obi-Wan had assured her everything was alright. She also learned that Master Qui-Gon wished to take him on as an apprentice, but after that, things went silent on his end. Rose tried every day to speak into the rock, but she never heard back from him.

In their time on Shili, the master and the apprentice formed a strong bond that was deep rooted. Rose came to admire the gentle nature of the older Jedi and how she lived by and through the Force. She also commended her master's ability to keep her emotions in check, something Rose was still learning to do.

"It is easy to give into your emotions," her master had said to her while they had been building their temporary living quarters. "A true Jedi will know how to conquer their emotions and become truly selfless."

After six years' worth of isolation from the Jedi, Master Ti agreed that it was time to return back to the Temple and finish out the remainder of Rose's training there as the Council intended. Rose was overjoyed – the time for the next portion of her training was upon them. With joy, she clambered into the spaceship with her Master, unable to contain her excitement. She was a woman now in her culture, and would soon need to go back to Varia to undergo a special ceremony, but for now all she wanted was to see her old friend, Obi-Wan, who had dropped out of communication two years prior. Rose couldn't think of a reason why he would have lost communication other than him losing his half of the stone, but Rose didn't think that was the case. She began unconsciously stroking the braid that held the bead he had given to her. Over one of his transmissions, he had explained that it was carved from the bone of a krayt dragon, one that her uncle had given him before they left Dantooine. Rose glanced out the window of the spaceship to the lush planet of Shili, saying goodbye as it soon went out of view as they made a jump into hyperspace.

"I can feel your anxiety from a planet away," Master Ti joked as she meditated in one of the chairs of the shuttle. "Excited to see someone in particular? Perhaps a young padawan?"

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," Rose said. "Besides, I don't think he'd even recognize me. I don't even recognize me." Rose looked down at her clothing. Upon arrival, the shuttle had brought a change of robes from the Jedi Temple. They were a much larger than the ones Rose wore as an Initiate, but their light brown color remained the same. On her arms, Rose had covered her tattoos with bands of cloth, following her uncle's orders of concealing her identity. Rose looked down at the two lightsabers that dangled from her hips. In the past years, they had become not only useful tools, but trusted friends Rose knew she could depend on. She understood now they were more than just a weapon – they were an extension of something larger at work. She looked at the inscription of her right-handed saber, the words she had inscribed on it so many years ago reflecting back at her with the same newness they had then. She smiled at the memory of Obi-Wan asking her what they meant, and how she had promised to tell him one day.

"One day," she whispered to herself, clutching the saber close to her chest. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander through the Force. She was looking for something – someone – within it, trying to reach out to his mind, like she had tried so many times before. As always, there was no one there for her to reach for, almost as if someone had turned out the lights on the other end. Rose sighed and looked out the window, the ship now dropping out of light speed. The planet was just as she remembered it: industrialized and smog-ridden.

As the ship landed at the Temple, Rose breathed in deep, basking in the air of Coruscant. Although it wasn't fresh, it smelled like home to her. She was greeted by the faces of Bant and Master Qui-Gon on the landing platform.

"Rose!" Bant yelled out, rushing to hug her friend. "It has been so long! When I heard you were coming back to the Temple, I had to come and greet you! Oh, how you have changed, Rose! I wouldn't recognize you if I didn't know it were you. You're absolutely stunning!" Rose felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she took in her friend as well. Bant had turned into quite the stunner herself, as far as Mon Calamarians went. Her skin had darkened to a nice chocolate brown, and her webbed features had grown considerably. She sported a Padawan's necklace around her neck, in place of the braid that had grown considerably in Rose's own hair. The braid now reached past the length of her normal hair, symbolizing her time with Master Ti. Rose turned and saw Master Qui-Gon coming up as well.

"She is right, my friend," he said, pulling Rose into a hug. "You have grown into quite the woman. Although, I wouldn't say you've grown that much." Rose threw him a glare.

"I'm fun sized, alright? Don't get me wrong, I'm really pumped to see the both of you, but where's Obi-Wan at?" Rose asked, furrowing her brows. The two Jedi in front of her looked at each other for a moment, an uncomfortable glance passing between the two.

"Rose, we need to talk."


	11. Chapter 11: Reunions

**Hello, friends.**

 **As some of you may know, I just rewrote quite a bit of the previous chapters, especially with the crystal caves through the construction ones. At the suggestion of someone (a very good suggestion, I might add), I decided to change that part of the story slightly. It doesn't change the main storyline, as it's all basically still there, but if you don't want to be completely confused in a coming part, I suggest you go back and reread them, although it is not mandatory. Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause you.**

 **\- The Awkward Author**

"HE DID WHAT?!" Rose cried in an outrage, the whole hangar growing silent at her outburst. Master Ti shot her a disapproving look, and Master Qui-Gon tried to calm her.

"He went and joined with a group of resistance fighters who call themselves 'the Young,'" he tried to explain, sending apologetic looks to the workers of the hangars. "There was a civil war that broke out a couple of years ago on a planet he and I visited on one of our first missions. Obi-Wan believed it was his path to stay with them instead of staying with the Order."

"Rose, where are you going?" Bant called after an annoyed Rose. Rose had turned away and had begun to stomp towards the nearest, fastest ship that was in her sight.

"I'm going to go get the dork before he does something stupid," Rose growled, hopping into a one-seater jet. Master Ti came up, a look of disappointment on her face.

"Rose, I would advise against this. You are letting your emotions for the boy cloud your judgement. Obi-Wan has left the Order, and I'm sure he would like those wishes to be respected," she tried to reason with Rose, but the padawan was already firing up the engines to the dismay of a nearby hangar worker.

"Ah, come on, Master TI. I'm not going to do anything stupid. At least, not more stupid than he's already done," Rose tried to sway her master, but she could see that she was failing. "Please?"

"Well, now that you've said please," Master Jinn quipped behind her. Rose had to stop herself from shooting him a death glare. Master Ti sighed before giving a half-assed, "Very well."

"As soon as you get back, though," she clarified darkly. "We are completing your training."

"Wouldn't dream of anything else, Master!" Rose said, a feeling of relief washing over her. She began pushing the necessary buttons on the panels, readying herself for liftoff.

"You'll find him on Melida/Daan. May the Force be with you, child," Qui-Gon instructed her. Rose set her coordinates for the Cadavine sector and took off, not looking back this time at the Temple. Though she was tired from her training, she was more annoyed at Obi-Wan for abandoning the Order, and she began the three day trek to the planet. On the way over, Rose debriefed herself on the situating of Melida/Daan, and how the two factions were in a civil war against each other that had lasted for centuries. She learned how the children of the planet are fighting against their elders, calling themselves 'the Young,' the group Master Qui-Gon had told her about. Rose thought hard about what she would say to Obi-Wan when she saw him. She wondered how he had changed in the last six years from the child figure into the teen she knew he would be. She pulled out the black rock and whispered one last message into it, hoping he would hear it.

After three days of uncomfortable sitting and stops at shady stations, the violet planet of Melida/Daan came into view, and Rose felt an overwhelming feeling of aggression on the planet below. She began the landing procedure, deciding to land in an isolated area instead of a main city. The land below her was war-torn and burning, the unceasing smell of smoke filling the air. Rose opened the hatch of her jedi craft and jumped out, pulling her dark hood over her eyes in the process. Through the Force, Rose concentrated and allowed it to guide her in the direction she needed to go. Pulling a speeder out of a compartment under her ship, Rose headed out towards the mountain range, following where the Force was leading her. With each passing minute, Rose felt the pull grow stronger as the terrain grew steeper. As she reached the base of the closest mountain, she dismounted the speeder, hiding it in some nearby underbrush.

In addition to her Jedi abilities, Rose discovered she had the ability to manipulate certain elements due to her Varian background – something she was still exploring. For centuries her people had been blessed with special abilities – each unique to the individual. Rose focused onto the Earth, searching for any kind of abnormality in the layout of the mountain – anything manmade. She felt through the ground, slightly overwhelmed by its enormity. She saw one of the cave systems had something off about it - there were small vibrations coming from it. Deciding it needed further investigating, Rose set out up the mountain, its unforgivable terrain making for a difficult climb.

She saw the opening to the cave about a mile up the side of the mountain, but she didn't get very far before she heard rustling behind her. With her sabers and training on her side, Rose was not afraid. She wasn't underestimating the abilities of her possible opponents, but she did not feel fear for the incoming attack. With her emotions in check, Rose continued her climb before she heard the slick schhh of a saber behind her. She quickly drew her own sabers, and just in time, as a blue one crashed down onto her white ones. A hood was likewise covering the eyes of her attacker, but she knew who it was immediately.

"Back off, dork," she said defiantly. The attacker retracted his saber, stumbling back. He moved his hood back to reveal what was only a reminiscence of the face Rose knew as a child. His auburn hair was short and wild, as if he hadn't had it properly cut in years. His stormy blue eyes were both confused and surprised at the same time, but they held all the gentleness they had before. His tan tunic was strung with dirt and mud, and his brown robe suffered a similar fate. No longer were his cheeks slightly chubby nor his body small; he was now a man, one that stood at least five inches taller than Rose. She felt her heart flutter slightly as he opened his mouth to speak, his features still etched with confusion.

"I know those lightsabers," he whispered, tilting his head, his eyebrows coming together slightly. Rose pulled back her hood and revealed her face. He, too, no longer saw the face of the friend that left the Temple six years prior, but instead the face of a woman – a beautiful woman, at that. Her green eyes were even more striking than before, and her delicate facial features were framed perfectly by her blonde hair, which held some beads in it in various places. Rose felt a blush creep up to her face as Obi-Wan looked her over from head to toe, taking her in, grateful that the world was stuck in a permanent twilight.

Obi-Wan took a step forward, his feet moving on their own. Before he knew it, he was swooping Rose up into a large hug, twirling her around, an overwhelming sense of joy filling him.

"I missed you, dork," she muttered into the crook of his neck. He set her down gently, still gripping onto her. A few moments of silence passed between them before they drew away from each other. "Where did you go?" Rose asked with a hand still on his cheek. He seemed to lean into it, basking in the small amount of heat it offered.

"I'm sorry, Rose. When I left the order, they took the rock away from me."

"Oh, yeah, I have something for you about that," Rose looked him square in the eyes and slapped him across his face, a sharp sound piercing the air as her skin made contact with his. He stumbled back, surprised. "That's for being an idiot and leaving me alone."

"Rose, they needed me here," Obi-Wan began, but Rose wasn't listening. She turned her back to him and looked around. The air was too quiet.

"Say it to someone who cares," Rose said, struggling to cap the resentment boiling inside her. She remembered her training and how Master Ti had taught her to control her outbursts. With a deep breath, Rose turned and faced Obi-Wan again. "Come home, Obi-Wan."

"Rose," he breathed, coming invasively close to her. She stood her ground. He put a hand on either side of her face. "They need me here." He repeated.

"You're a Jedi, Kenobi. There's a whole galaxy full of people like the ones here," Rose countered. Obi-Wan opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by a blaster coming straight at their heads. He pushed her out of the way, the blaster just barely grazing his arm. The two scrambled for cover.

"Melidian forces," he explained as they hid behind a rock, the blasters still shooting over their heads. "Someone must have tipped them off about our base."

"Freaking perfect," Rose mumbled, searching for a way out of the situation. She peaked around the corner of the rock, trying to get a view of who was attacking them. With her sabers out, Rose began deflecting blasts, sending them back in the direction from where they came.

"Come on, now's our chance," Obi-Wan said, grabbing Rose's hand. He led them into the tree line, crouching amongst the brush. He led her to a hidden door in a tree, letting her go down the ladder first before he jumped down after her, closing the hatch behind them.

"All sorts of surprises the past couple of days," Rose mumbled as Obi-Wan pulled out his lightsaber, using it as a light. Rose did the same and the two went farther into the passage. There were vines on either side of them and critters Rose couldn't name scurrying around their feet.

"You're angry with me," Obi-Wan said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Anger isn't the emotion I would choose," Rose said. "Frustration is more like it." Obi-Wan flinched, his eyes never leaving the path in front of them.

"I'm sorry, Rose," he apologized.

"Come home with me, Obi-Wan," Rose tried, taking his hand into hers. "Come back to the Jedi and leave this war behind you."

"I don't know if they would take me back," Obi-Wan said. "I've been away for two years now, and we are so close to the end here. I just don't know what to do, Rose."

"Come on, Obi. For old times' sake," Rose persisted. Obi-Wan sighed.

"I don't know, Rose. Just drop it for now, okay? Either way, we aren't safe here," Obi-Wan led Rose by the hand down the passage, winding them through the confusing labyrinth of tunnels. They came upon a clad-iron door, which Obi-Wan opened with a key card from his back pocket. The door opened to a bustling room full of young children, crates scattered around with various weapons and blasters positioned on top of them.

"So this is where the Young like to play," Rose mumbled to herself, feeling the curious eyes fall onto her and Obi-Wan. A teenaged boy approached them, his brown hair falling over his eyes.

"Who's this, Kenobi?" He asked, eyeing Rose.

"Rose Amaha. She's a friend, Nield," Obi-Wan replied, putting himself between Nield and Rose before a girl a little younger than Rose joined the conversation.

"She your girlfriend?" she teased. "Cerasi - pleasure to meet you." Rose offered a small bow and shook her hand.

"So, you're a Jedi?" Nield said, pointing to the lightsabers at Rose's side.

"Yes," Rose said simply.

"Ah, so she's like you then, Kenobi? A Padawawa?"

"Padawan, Cerasi, and yes, like me," Obi-Wan corrected, gripping the bridge of his nose.

"Padawan Amaha, if you will, I have a request of you," Cerasi began. "I would like to ask you to speak on our behalf at the meeting tonight. I'm so happy the Jedi finally recognize –"

"Wait, you think the Jedi Council sent me here?" Rose stopped her. She looked over at Obi-Wan, but he only shrugged. "I'm just here to take this dork home. The Jedi don't have business here, from what I've read at least."

"But you are a peace keeper, aren't you?" Cerasi complained desperately. "The peace has been broken here for centuries! Are you just going to let us fall apart and suffer –"

"This is an internal affair," Rose said calmly. "The Jedi do not get involved in civil wars. It's something your people need to sort out for themselves."

"My, you've changed in the last six years, Rose," Obi-Wan stepped in. "You used to be so spirited. If it were you, wouldn't you want help?"

"We were both kids then, but I see only one of us has actually grown up," Rose hissed. "Don't make it about something that it's not." A crowd began to form around the four of them, the curious eyes of children watching their every move. "You think I like this?" she said, lowering her voice so only Obi-Wan could hear it. "I want to help these people, but my involvement would only complicate things for the Order."

"You sound just like Master Qui-Gon. I see they've groomed you into a 'proper' Jedi," Obi-Wan spat.

"And I see you've lost your way!" Rose yelled, her ears beginning to feel hot. "You were the one I looked up to. You were my best friend. And you weren't there. I leave for six years and have to endure Hell on another planet - all in the hopes I get to see my friends when I'm finished, but when I get back, you were gone. 'Left the Order,' they said. 'He isn't coming back,' they tried to convince me. But I knew you better – I knew there was something more to you. All of those quiet conversations and you just leave without even saying goodbye." Rose was screaming at him, pointing an accusatory finger against his chest. Her breath was ragged and heaving, her voice strained. All the years of training to control her rage were gone in a single moment.

"Fine, Kenobi. You want to see action? I'll speak on behalf of you," she said, talking to Cerasi. "But not as a Jedi. As far as they are concerned, the Order is not involved," Rose declared. "We'll leave when the people outside stop blasting at us. Now, someone show me where the food is. I'm absolutely starving." A little girl came up to Rose and held her hand out. Rose felt her facial features soften as she took the girl's hand, its soft texture comforting in her own. The girl led her out of the hangar and into the hallway. It was cold and small droplets fell from the ceiling in an uneven beat, echoing throughout the length of the corridor. The little girl stopped in front of a door which led to the food area. She disappeared behind one of the doors for a few moments, but soon returned to Rose with a plate of meats and native veggies.

"Thanks, little one. What's your name?" Rose said as gently as she could. Her mind was still racing at her outburst.

"Elia," the girl said, spinning her torso from left to right shyly. She began to bite on her index nail and looked up at Rose with big, brown eyes. Rose saw a lot of her younger sister in the little girl. "You come to help Cerasi and Nield?"

"Yeah, Elia," Rose said, staring down at her plate. She pushed the food around with her fork for a moment before diving in. It was pretty obvious the meat was old, as the preservatives had altered the taste of it to something unpleasant, but it was still edible and Rose had never been a picky eater. She could tell the greens were fresh, though, and became fascinated by how they were grown on such a war-torn surface.

"Do you grow your own food?" Rose asked Elia, who was playing with the beads in Rose's hair. The girl nodded and plopped down beside Rose on the bench.

"Cerasi says we should be indifferent," Elia said confidently, crossing her arms.

"Do you mean independent?" Rose said with a laugh – something she felt she hadn't done in a long time. The little girl scrunched her face up in thought before nodding, her face a little flushed.

"How old are you?" Rose asked between bites. Elia looked at her hands before holding up four pudgy fingers, a toothy grin breaking across her face, some teeth missing with the new ones peeking out from beneath. "Four years old! Why, you're practically a woman!"

"My Mommy useds to says that I was her little lady," Elia said. "Whens is Mommy going to come back?"

"I don't know, Elia," Rose said softly. She put a hand on the little girl's shoulder. "I'm sure it'll be any day now."

"Elia, you should go do your chores," a gentle voice sounded from the doorway. Rose turned and saw it was Obi-Wan. The little girl scurried away, her light blue dress bouncing as she went.

"She's a cute one," Rose said, looking after her.

"You do well with children," Obi-Wan sat down beside Rose. "Look, Rose -"

"What did I say about getting sentimental, Kenobi? You won, alright?" Rose said, chasing around a small, round, purple fruit on her plate with her fork. Eventually, she gave up and used her fingers, the game becoming boring.

"Are you really going to speak on the Young's behalf?"

"I said I would, didn't I? Don't have a blazing clue on what I'm going to say, but I've always been good at improvising," Rose said helplessly. An alarm that rippled through the complex startled the two of them. Obi-Wan was already on his feet, rushing out the door. Rose followed in suit, snagging one of the fruits off her plate and popping it into her mouth.


	12. Chapter 12: Jailed

The lights that ran around the tops of the stone halls were flashing red, signaling an attack was coming. Rose and Obi-Wan raced to the area they had just left, hearing the sounds of blasters in the distance.

"Do you think they followed us here?" Rose shouted over the booming siren, barely even hearing herself.

"No, I don't think so," Obi-Wan hollered back. "It was only really a matter of time. We've been sitting ducks for the past couple of weeks now. This was the third time we had to move bases."

"What about the peace conference meeting Cerasi was talking about?"

"Guess it got cancelled." They neared up to the hangar, sabers drawn. There were blasts going every which way, and the two teenagers had to block the incoming blasts, doing their best to repel them back to their shooter.

"Obi-Wan, we must get the kids out," Rose saw Nield coming up behind them. He was shouting orders at other members of the Young, trying to form a good defense. "They're in the gardens with Cerasi."

"I'll take care of them," Obi-Wan said, feeling the beads of sweat gathering on his forehead. "If I take them out of the secret door and into the wild, then we can hide there. I just need more time."

"Looks like I'm here to answer your prayers, Kenobi," Rose hollered at him. He gave a slight nod before disappearing out of the hangar. "Looks like it's just you and me, Field."

"Nield," he corrected her scornfully.

"Whatever. We can't stay on the defense forever. We need a plan," Rose ducked behind one of the crates and searched around the hangar. She peaked around the side and followed the cave's roof with her eyes.

"There are gas tanks on the other side of the room. I saw them when I came in. With a good enough vantage point, a shot will make 'em explode and cause a cave-in. If we can bring the roof down on that side of the cave, we can seal ourselves in, take out whoever is left, and then make it for the back entrance," Rose said to Nield.

"That's a suicide mission! Anyone caught in that rubble will be killed in it!" Nield exclaimed, firing his blaster into the haze. "I'm not sending one of my people to do that."

"You won't have to," said Rose, putting her sabers back on her belt and picking up a blaster. "Order the kids to fall back and wait for the moment to take out whoever is left. Make sure they aren't in this main area – I don't know how stable the rest of the cave is. Causing it to collapse here area might cause other cave-ins."

"And who is going to do this death job for you?" Nield spat out at her. Rose faked a look of hurt.

"Me, of course. Wish me luck, kid," with a wink, Rose crept her way along the side of the hangar, careful to keep her head down. She stuck low to the ground and hugged the wall, periodically pausing to wait for someone to pass by her. When she managed to slowly reach the other wall, she saw the enemy was streaming into the hangar by the dozen. Using the wall as a ladder, Rose climbed herself up to the top, prayed for the best, and took out her blaster, gaining a clear shot to the gas tanks on this side of the hangar. She looked over to the other side of the hangar and saw Nield giving her a thumbs-up, indicating all of the Young were out of the way.

"For the hell of adventure," Rose shouted into the air, firing the blaster. The explosion was deafening, and Rose felt the pressure of her being squeezed against the wall and something heavy crashing on top of her leg as she collided with the ground. Her head pounded hard against the stone floor, sending a shot of pain down her spine. She wasn't sure if the snaps she felt were from her leg or something else, or even a combination of the two. The ringing in her ears overpowered all other noise, and the mix of smoke and dust that filled her nostrils made her gag repeatedly. She frantically tried looking around, but all she could see was darkness.

"Obi-Wan," she coughed, but no words came out. She felt her consciousness slipping from her slowly, her thought process falling with it. Eventually, the world went dark.

The clearing of rubble above her snapped Rose awake. She saw beads of light beginning to poke through and heard muffled voices become audible. Although a boulder had fallen onto her left leg, it was preventing another boulder above her to fall, which would ultimately crush her. Rose breathed a sigh of relief and squirmed her hand free of its uncomfortable position, concentrating hard on the boulder.

"Remember, it is not size that matters, my Padawan. Master Yoda will be the first to say that," Shaak Ti had told her while teaching her about telekinesis through the Force. "The only thing that will hold you back is your own mind. Let your mind be free." Rose let her mind go blank, just as her Master had instructed her to. She felt her muscles relax and allowed the Force to be her guide. Beams of twilight light became rays, which eventually turned into sheets as the boulder lifted off of Rose gracefully. With the boulder gone from above her, Rose could more clearly see.

The outside world was now above her. There was no longer a battle going on, but the faces Rose saw were not ones she recognized. At first, they were in shock at the magic ability of the girl lifting rocks using nothing but her mind, but they soon became hostile, lifting the boulder off of her leg and pulling her out of the rubble, a blaster on her back.

Rose was relieved to feel that her leg was not broken, but a feeling with dread filled her as she looked down at her sabers, which were still in the hole she had just come from. There her precious sabers were, smashed into pieces by the weight of her, the blast, and the boulders pounding on them. The frame seemed to be in decent enough condition, but one of the sabers' tops was missing, and the other had broken shards of crystals spilling out of it. With a heavy sigh, Rose was led by the business end of a blaster onto a ship, where she was thrown into the brig, heavy, electrolyzed chains being placed on her arms and legs.

"Not quite the adventure I had pictured," Rose mused to herself, carving into the floor with her fingernail. "Not exactly how I wanted this day to go." The ship took off beneath her, leaving Rose to the mercy of its next destination. They had stripped Rose of her belt and tunic, leaving her with nothing more than the items in her hair and a measly pair of pants with a brown tube top to keep her decency. At least they allowed her that much.

"Oi, nerfherders! When's dinner at?" she hollered out of the cell, trying to get someone's attention. When no one came, she hugged her knees close to her, hoping that Obi-Wan and the others had gotten out okay. The ship came to an unsteady landing below her, and she heard the footsteps of someone nearing her. Three men appeared at the door, all of them carrying blasters.

"Get up," the closest one to her ordered. He grabbed her chains and pulled her out of the ship, Rose stumbling over her chained feet. As she passed by the other cells, she peered in, trying to see if she recognized any of the faces. Cell after cell they passed, the only thing between them and the other prisoners being a ray shield. Rose allowed herself a sigh of relief when she didn't recognize any of the people, filling her with a hope the others were hidden.

They led her into an elevator which took them to the upper floors of the prison. When the doors opened, they led her down the passageway to her new home. They threw her into a cell on the far end, activating the ray shield as she hit the ground. She rolled on the ground and caught herself, which proved to be difficult with her hands and feet chained. The guards looked down at her with disgust on their faces before turning and leaving her to herself. Rose felt the cold breeze fill her cell, her scraggly clothes nowhere near enough to keep her warm.

"Wait, what the –," Rose turned and looked to where the breeze was coming from. When she spun around, she was not greeted with the prison wall she expected, but instead there was no wall to be seen. The jail cell opened up into the wilderness, leaving whoever was within open to the elements and the thousand foot drop to the bottom of the jail. Rose didn't dare go near to the edge, but instead slunk into the back near the ray shield, wishing for the nightmare to be over.

"Alright, just gotta calm down," she told herself repeatedly, pulling all of her attention onto the view rather than the height. The mountains seemed to roll endlessly on, and Rose could see smoke rising in the distance beyond the range, the occasional red sparks flying above the peaks. She saw the fog roll lazily over the twilight plains in front of the range, and how the stars above were forever in sight. Rose closed her eyes and made herself small, pulling everything in as close as she could, shivering at the cold. She had no point of reference for how much time had passed; it could have been days since the cave-in and Obi-Wan, assuming she was dead, left her behind.

The next couple of days seemed to drag on, or at least Rose thought they were days. She observed the pattern of the nearby sun, and how it would peek over the horizon every couple of hours, stay for a while, and then hide again. Taking these as days, Rose began marking lines on the wall with a rock in the cell to mark the days going by - right next to a lovely drawing of a naked lady one of the previous occupants had taken the time to etch into the wall. Occasionally, the guards would come and taunt her at her cell, saying how she was going to be "taken care of" soon. She spat at them each time, her spit sizzling into the ray shield. They only laughed and made wolf-whistles at her, infuriating her even more. Twice they had taken her and interrogated her, torturing Rose to the breaking point to try and gain intelligence about the Young. Rose couldn't even give them information if she wanted to – she didn't have any to give. They called her a liar and whipped her even harder, the licks becoming more and more blurred together. To pass the time in between "sessions," as they liked to call them, Rose tried to clear her head by working out, trying her best to keep her mind off of the situation. She had tried meditating, but found it boring. Every time she had tried to reach out to Obi-Wan through the Force, it was silent on the other end.

"Soul bond my ass," she muttered. The time had come when she needed to begin forming her escape plan. Her options seemed pretty grim: jump off the side of the jail and plummet to her death, or run head first at the ray shield and be fried. With a gulp, she inched her way slowly to the side with no wall, getting on her belly as she neared the edge. Down she looked – down 90 levels worth of jail; it was 90 levels worth of stomach wrenching, death defying heights. Rose felt her head grow light and eyes glaze over, and she took a moment to compose herself before scouting the design of the jail. She saw that the open design for the cells did not go all the way down – they only started about halfway up the building – which would explain why she didn't see the missing wall in the cells on the lower floor. Rose peered up and saw that she was on one of the top floors of the tower. Even if there were some way she could jump and survive, there would be no way to get passed the fortified wall that blocked the jail from the outside world, a horde of guards in eyesight from every angle.

Hearing footsteps in the hallway, Rose pushed herself away from the edge and hid into the wall. Whoever it was, they stopped at her room, hesitated for a moment, and then unlocked the door, stepping in. Rose could see it was a guard by his uniform, and, supposing she would never get an opportunity like this again, she lunged forward at him, shoving her hand over his mouth as he began making sounds. His arms flailed frantically around, desperately trying to swing Rose off his back. She clung on just as desperately, trying to lead the struggling man away from the ledge of certain death and more into the cell, not wanting herself to be taken down should he fall. She felt something cold and wet touch her hand.

"That's so gross, you sicko!" she whispered harshly into his ear. She took her foot and nailed him as hard as she could in the one spot that mattered, his figure doubling over onto the ground. She flipped him over and straddled him, her hands holding his above his head. Only when she saw his face did she realize what a mistake she had made.

"Obi-Wan?" she said, recognizing the eyes of her friend while the rest of his face remained hidden behind a mask. She saw small tears welling at the corners of them – tears of pain. Rose pulled the mask away, and sure enough, there was Obi-Wan, biting his tongue to prevent his cries of dismay.

"I came to rescue you," he said in high, airy tone, his face scrunching up. "But I can see you can take care of yourself."

"You had that coming for sneaking up on me," Rose pulled him over to the wall of the cell, hiding him so that someone from the hall couldn't peer in and see him with her. She lowered her voice as she spoke. "By the Force, how did you get in here?"

"Wasn't easy, I'll tell you that much. I'm going to get you out of here, Rose, but you're going to have to be a little patient with me. Everyone else thinks you died in the explosion, but we both know you're tougher than that," Obi-Wan threw a grin at her, which quickly dropped after seeing her back. "Mother of Moons, Rose – what have they done to you?" He saw the raw stripes of where the electro-whip had struck Rose in the interrogation sessions.

"Just the fun stuff," she tried to laugh off, but he did not return her laughter. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it again, thinking twice. "Come on, Obi. Don't give me that look," Rose pleaded, pushing herself away from him. She walked over to the other side of the cell and supported herself against the wall, her back to him. She looked up at the days she had marked on it. Fifteen. "You should get going before they find you here," she said, facing the wall. She heard the scraping of him getting up behind her and the quiet padding of his feet.

"Hey, Kenobi? My lightsabers – they were smashed under the boulder. If you could, do you think you could scrape up whatever's left? I want to see if I can repair those suckers before Master Ti has a fit," she turned to face him. "Try to remember a cloak next time, too. It's quite chilly up here."

"I'll be back before you know it," he vowed, leaving the room quietly. Rose watched him go quietly, her glimmer of hope disappearing into the darkness of the jail hallways.


	13. Chapter 13: Crash

**Oh my goodness, I finally updated! I apologize for the delay, but I was doing revisions on other chapters (which I still need to finish) and I had finals in school to worry about. So many papers at this time of the year, so little time. I'm just excited to FINALLY getting into the main arc of the story - I have so much planned for Anywho, enjoy the next installment, and, as always, feedback is appreciated.**

 **May the Force be with you lovelies,**

 **\- Captain Kenobi**

"Get up, girl," a guard said, kicking Rose in the abdomen. She let out a growl of pain before following orders, slowly getting up from her spot, no more energy left to fight back. It had been three days since she last saw Obi-Wan, and the guards had given her little food. Two guards had entered her cell, one armed with a blaster and the other with a whip. Something about the second one seemed suspicious to her.

"Is it time for my big debut?" she smirked, earning a slap across the face. "Don't have to be such an ass about it," she mumbled.

"What'dya call me?" the blaster one asked, roughly hoisting her off her feet. He spat at her face, which she coolly wiped off using her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, twinkle toes. You won't have to deal with me for much longer," Rose shrugged. The guard with the whip was quiet behind them, keeping his distance. Rose turned and gave him a wink before ramming the guard with the blaster into the wall, surprising him. She jumped and threw her feet through her cuffs, allowing her hands to be in front of her. He began swinging wildly at her, but she missed each one of his lunges easily before countering them with her own, quick movements. She used her feet to deliver a final blow to his face, knocking him cold onto the ground.

"Sure took you long enough," Rose glared at the other guard. He removed his helmet, revealing the face of Obi-Wan underneath it.

"It's not as easy to get in here undetected as you might think," he defended, taking the electrolyzed cuffs off of Rose, who rubbed her sore wrists.

"Well, genius, now that my prince charming has rescued me, what do we do? Can't just leave this loaf here - someone'll find him."

"Luckily, prince charming has already thought of that. Come on, help me move him," Obi-Wan said, beginning to drag the unconscious guard back into his cell. Rose grabbed the other hand and they propped him up against the cell wall, being sure to hide him in the corner. Obi-Wan activated the rayshield, barricading them into the cell.

"Hey, genius, way to lock us out of our way out," Rose began, but Obi-Wan ignored her and walked over to the open ledge.

"Nope. This is our way out," he said, jumping down. Rose rushed to stop him, but he already fallen out of view. As she neared the edge, she saw that he had not fallen to his doom, but instead small a small hovercraft right below her cell, a smiling Qui-Gon piloting it.

"Come on, Rose. Jump!" Obi-Wan shouted up to her. Rose peered over the edge and shifted uncomfortably on her feet. She closed her eyes and took a leap of faith off the safety of the platform, the feeling of freefalling one hundred stories filling her with terror. She felt the hard metal of the craft hit her feet and Obi-Wan's hand taking hers as he guided her into the airship, plopping them into a seat as Qui-Gon began to pull away.

"Flawless rescue," Rose said, her teeth chattering at more than the nip of the air. "Only thing that would make it better would be a -" Obi-Wan read her mind and threw a pile of fabric in her hands, along with her belt and crushed sabers. "Cloak. Shit. Shaak Ti is literally going to kill me after she sees these," Rose said as she looked down at the broken sabers in her hands. There was a little bag tied around one of the hilts, and when Rose peered into it, she saw the shattered remains of what used to be her crystals, their once luminous nature gone.

"Well, turn around, you pervert," Rose shooed Obi-Wan with her hand who was in the back seat with her. His face went red as she began pulling off her torn pants, pulling her Jedi ones on in place of them. She slid her tunic on over her head, basking in the small amount of warmth it offered. She put her tunic on over everything, leaning back into the seat and picking up her sabers. Obi-Wan had his eyes slammed shut and head turned the other way, desperately trying to hide his embarrassment. "It's clear now, dork.

"So, Qui-Gon Beard, what brought you here?" Rose asked as she studied her sabers, looking for any kind of way to salvage them.

"For my apprentice, of course," he said sternly, keeping his eyes on the mountains in front of him.

"Glad you two kissed and made up. We can get off this godforsaken rock now, right?"

"Heading to our ship right now."

"Hey, where's those kids you were fighting for? Obi-Wan?" Rose snapped her fingers in front of her friend's far-off eyes, calling him back to the land of the conscious. His eyes locked onto hers for a moment before falling down to look at the hands in his lap.

"There is no place left for me here," he said quietly. Rose opened her mouth to say something, but closed it, and decided silence was better.

The flight home was full of small bicker fests between master and apprentice, and Rose often found herself in the crossfires, trying to not take sides.

"You both bicker more than I do with my master," Rose said, excusing herself from the cockpit. If she had to sit through one more minute of them arguing, she was going to lose her mind. Rose let herself into the back compartment, sitting down at the metal table. She laid all the pieces out in front of her, trying to figure out which smashed piece went with which. The body was still in one piece, and it seems like the only damage that was done to the sabers was mostly done to the crystals.

"Why'd it have to be the crystals? Of all the damned parts it could be," Rose asked exasperatedly. She let her head fall onto the table in front of her, the sound echoing around the room. She grabbed the ship's repairbox and took out a screwdriver and began to dismantle her sabers. After an hour of work, she had all the pieces laid out before her, separated by what they were and which saber they belonged to. Rose picked up the main bodies of her sabers and looked at what she had engraved into them six years ago. Although slightly altered by small dents, the swirling patterns of flowers filled one of the sabers, and grains of dirt now stuck in its fine indentions. Rose looked at the one that had the Jedi Temple's symbol and the words etched onto it, smiling at the memory.

"You never did tell me what they meant," Obi-Wan said behind her, making Rose jump a little.

"Damn, Kenobi. Scared the shit out of me," Rose said, putting the pieces down. He only laughed and plopped himself down in the seat opposite of her.

"With how long you've been training with Master Ti, you should be more in tune with your senses," he lectured, picking up one of the bodies. "So, what does it mean?"

"I said one day, Kenobi. Doesn't necessarily mean today," Rose said, propping her feet up on the table and leaning back into the metal chair. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger and looked up at the ceiling. Pipes and wires ran the length of the ship, and Rose wishing they were closer to Coruscant. She missed her home at the Temple. "What happened between you and Master Beard up there, anyway? The last time you talked to me with the crystal, you said things were fine between the two of you."

"Things changed," Obi-Wan said darkly, setting the piece back down.

"Don't shut me out," Rose countered.

"Why not? You weren't there - you weren't there for any of it," he raised his voice at Rose, causing her to be taken aback. She raised an eyebrow at him and as she opened her mouth to say something, the ship rocked beneath their feet as if something had rammed into them. Rose swept all of the pieces of her sabers into a pouch and tied it around her belt tightly before following Obi-Wan to the cockpit, where an exasperated Qui-Gon was navigating through an asteroid field.

"The hell are you doing up here?!" Rose hollered as she strapped herself in to her seat.

"Pirates," Qui-Gon mumbled as he jerk the ship, narrowly missing an asteroid.

"Pirates?" Rose asked as the ship shook again. They heard an explosion coming from behind them and the cockpit began to shake violently. "Hope the engine wasn't important."

"Master, are we close to any planets?" Obi-Wan said, seating himself into the co-pilot's seat.

"Varia," Qui-Gon said. Rose felt her stomach drop.

"We can't go there!" she exclaimed as the planet began coming into view through the asteroids. The blue and green planet spun gracefully, growing larger with every second.

"We don't have a choice, Rose," Obi-Wan yelled back. As they entered the atmosphere, the ship began to catch fire, vital parts being thrown behind them. The three Jedi braced for impact as the ship crashed into a lake. Rose felt her head whip against the chair and she struggled against unconsciousness as the water began filling the cabin. With frantic hands, she undid her seatbelt and went to help Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, both of which seemed to be unconscious themselves. Rose unhooked Obi-Wan's saber and sliced their seatbelts before pulling them out of their chairs. The water was rising quickly and was already up to her knees. The emergency lights of the ship were now flashing on, illuminating the cabin with a creepy, green glow. Rose pulled out her own aquata breather before rifling through the pockets of the two boys, sticking their own in their mouths. An idea popped into her head and she allowed the water to fill the cabin even more, being sure to tie the unconscious Jedi to her by looping her belt through theirs and tying it off. As the water completely filled the cabin, Rose took Obi-Wan's lightsaber and cut a hole in the glass that was large enough for the three of them to squeeze through. She had to periodically stop and check to make sure the breathers were still in their mouths, and when she was certain they weren't going to fall out, she pulled the two Jedi along with her up and out of the sinking ship. She held a boy in each arm and allowed them to float up to the surface, trying to save her energy for what would await them on the surface.

The canopy above blocked most of the sunlight as Rose carried the two other Jedi to the shore of the lake. Her body collapsed from exhaustion as they made their way onto the beach, the gentle waves lapping at their legs. She allowed herself a moment of rest before pushing herself up, the sand clinging to her wet body. She gently turned over Qui-Gon and when she found he was breathing, she allowed herself a sigh of relief. Moving over to Obi-Wan, Rose put her ear up to his mouth and moved a hand onto his chest. He wasn't moving.

"Always the overdramatic one," Rose said. She plugged his nose and tilted his head back before trying to blow air into his chest. After a couple of breaths, she moved over to his chest and began pumping. Compression after compression, Rose tried desperately to save her friend.

"Come on, dork, cut this out," she said, a little desperately. She felt her hands begin to shake as she tried once again to breathe life into Obi-Wan. She felt his body convulse under hers as he began hacking out water onto the sand beside him. Rose fell back onto the beach, her hands still shaking. "I swear, one of these days you'll be the death of me," she mumbled as she patted him on the back. "You owe me on."

"I rescued you from prison," Obi-Wan coughed out. His voice was raspy compared to its normal, soothing tone. His eyes grew large when they fell on Qui-Gon, but Rose reassured him.

"Just tired, is all," she said, helping Obi-Wan up from his spot. Their feet sunk into the wet sand, making walking difficult. "We need to get out of here."

"What? Why? We could just set up camp here for the night and look for help in the morning."

"We won't find help if we get eaten first," Rose said, already trying to pick up Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan came and helped her lift him up. "Gotta get in the trees. There's a reason the Varian people are nicknamed the 'tree dwellers.'"

"Great. So, where do we find one of these great tree dwellings?"

"No freaking idea. But, we can get up in the trees. Gonna be hard with Master Beard here, but it's not impossible," Rose led Obi-Wan into the surrounding woods. The trees, tall and strong, were larger than any tree Obi-Wan had seen before. Their roots were the size of starships, and the vines that hung off of them were thick and lush, smaller plants seemingly able to grow off of them. Rose led them carefully through the underbrush, her eyes darting everywhere at once, her ears open for any unusual sounds. Large, vibrant flowers came into view. Seemingly every color of the rainbow was on their petals, which were bigger than Rose herself.

"Don't touch them. They're poisonous," Rose warned as Obi-Wan oogled at their beauty. "Here's a good tree to start climbing." She stopped them at the base of the largest tree Obi-Wan had seen on the planet. Its size rivaled that of buildings on Coruscant. "We're going to have to use the Force to lift the old lug up," Rose began instructing. "Ready?" Obi-Wan nodded and they both focused their energy onto Qui-Gon, his body lifting into the air. The two padawans pushed him higher and higher, resting him softly onto the closest branch. Rose began scaling up the side of the tree, and Obi-Wan followed in suit, careful to place his foot in the same spot as hers. The tree's old and defined features allowed for an easy climb, and as they reached the branch where Qui-Gon was, they once again focused the Force and lifted him up to the next hanging branch, this one substantially higher.

"How high do we have to go?" Obi-Wan asked as they began climbing once more. Rose felt the bark growing more slippery the higher they climbed.

"Just below the canopy. There's some pretty nasty stuff down there that can climb pretty high. All we have to do is climb higher," Rose said. "Oi, the bark is going to start getting slippery from the kind of moss that grows up here. Try not to kill yourself." They repeated the same process up the tree: move Qui-Gon up a branch and climb up after him. Rose thought she heard movement below them, as if something was scraping against the tree. She motioned for Obi-Wan to hold and crouched down, peering into the fog below them. Although nothing was moving, she couldn't shake the feeling of eyes watching their every move, and Rose ushered Obi-Wan to climb faster, despite his fatigued state.

"We're being tracked," she said finally as they neared the next branch. "We gotta move faster."

"Tracked by what?"

"Hell if I know. Let's not stick around to find out."


	14. Chapter 14: Tarumba

**Jeeze, finally got this story posted! I hope you guys enjoy! I'm working on a cover for this story right now, so hopefully I'll have that up within the next couple of weeks!**

"There, this should be high enough for now," Rose instructed. They had reached just below the canopy of the great tree they were climbing. The limbs were smaller than the ones near the base, but they were still thick and plentiful, running every which way. They had settled Qui-Gon into a small crook in the tree, making him as comfortable as they could with a makeshift bed made of the tree's moss.

"We're going to have to make a fire," Rose said, carefully moving over to a flat part of the branch.

"A fire? Are you serious? I'm basically wearing sweat like a blanket under these robes," Obi-Wan joked, holding up his pit-stained arms. Rose laughed a little before making a face.

"That's gross, Kenobi. We don't need it for heat, dork - this planet is a giant greenhouse. We need it for those beasties on the floor. They normally don't climb this high, but there are some that will. The fire'll ward them off. See these vines?" she held up one of the branching smaller vines with her hands and took a knife out of one of her belt's pockets. "If you cut them at the top here - you see where it meets the bigger root? - you can get both a drink of water and nice kindling." Rose sliced the edge of the vine with her knife. Water spewed out for a moment before the cut on the main branch healed over in a glazed goo. She lifted the edge of the now cut vine up to her mouth and drank down the watery contents, grateful for the refreshing drink. When the vine was empty, it shriveled up almost instantly, the once green color turning a muddy brown.

"Where did you even learn all of this?" Obi-Wan asked, cutting his own vine and taking a drink for himself. Rose took the shriveled root from his hand and searched around for a natural dent in the branch. Luckily, there was one close to Qui-Gon, and Rose began tearing the dead vines and putting them into the hole.

"My old man was a hunter for our tribe. I tagged along every once and awhile," Rose began to explain. "Well, snuck along, really, and then got yelled at. Hey, I need to borrow you for a second," Rose said. Obi-Wan crouched down opposite to her, ready to offer whatever help he could.

"Draw your saber and put the blade next to the roots," Rose instructed, moving onto her stomach. Obi-Wan did as he was told and drew his saber, placing the blade dangerously close to Rose's head. She picked up one of the roots and nudged it close to the blade until she saw small embers on the root. Slowly, she placed the root back into the hole and began to blow gently onto the embers, hoping they would spread and ignite. Within a couple of minutes, a fire was roaring in the crook of the branch. Rose saw the look of horror cross Obi-Wan's face and laughed.

"Relax, dork. These big ass trees are fire proof. Trust me - I tried to light these suckers a hundred times when I was a kid, but the bark has more heat resistance than most metals," Rose reassured him. She leaned against the tree next to Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief before sitting next to her. They sat in silence for a few moments, watching the flickering of the fire in front of them. Rose Took her robe off and covered Qui-Gon before taking out her saber pieces.

"Guess I should try to fix them," she said, dumping out the pieces in front of her.

"Aren't the crystals shattered?" Obi-Wan asked, picking up a screw. Rose put a hand on her chin in thought before reaching into one of her belt's pockets, taking out the two krayt pearls her uncle had given her years before.

"Yep. Remember my uncle, Ty? The one we met on Dantooine? The pearls he gave me can be used in these suckers, just gotta tune them right," Rose said, looking at the small, white balls in her hand. They clanked together lightly before an idea hit her. "You could help me do it."

"Er, what?"

"Help me tune them, Obi-Wan," Rose said, her hopeful eyes meeting his. "Come on, Obs. Not like we're going anywhere anytime soon." Obi-Wan looked at the held-out marbles in her hands and took one before turning to face her, crossing his legs. Rose did the same and the two of them joined hands, pearls clasped between their fingers. She was momentarily caught off guard by the softness of his hands in her own sweaty ones.

"How does this work, exactly?" Obi-Wan asked, peeking one of his eyes open.

"No clue, but I think this is the part where the Force will be our guide," Rose said, trying to draw her attention back to the pearls between their fingers.

"My, you have changed, Rose," Obi-Wan said quietly. The young padawans focused their energies together, feeling the Force circling between them. Rose allowed her consciousness to melt into the flow, losing all sense of existence. The endless stream of light that filled her mind seemed to grow brighter and brighter with every moment that passed until, in an instant, there was darkness once again. Rose opened her eyes to the soft glow of the fire on Obi-Wan's face, his stormy eyes staring back into hers. It was night now, and the light of the fire was the only thing allowing Rose to see. In the distance, the songs of the night could be heard, the thousands of creatures communicating with each other in a thunderous chorus. Rose's eyes dropped to their hands, and Obi-Wan hastily untangled his from hers, leaving two milky marbles in her palms.

"Holy shit, it actually worked," Rose said, holding up the pearls into the light.

"That was the easy part if you consider the fact you have to reconstruct your sabers from scraps," said Obi-Wan. He got up from his seated position and moved over to Qui-Gon, checking his master for any signs of life.

"Well, I never say 'no' to a challenge," Rose mumbled, picking through the pieces of her sabers while she looked for a place to begin. "How is he doing?"

"He'll be fine. Just needs rest," Obi-Wan said, leaning back against the tree. "You have fun with that."

"You know, I did some reading on these pearl things while I was on Shili. Master Ti would bring me some, ahem, 'light reading,' as she liked to call it. More like libraries, if you ask me. Anyway, one of the books she brought had these pearls in it. Said that only the Jedi who tuned the pearls could use them," Rose said, fumbling around with some pieces. Luckily, in her haste to scoop the pieces into the bag, the screwdriver had also been swept away, leaving Rose with a tool to use. "If it turns out only you can use them, I'm totally stealing your lightsaber. Just a heads up." Obi-Wan laughed a little, pulling his cloak over his eyes.

"Whatever you say, shorty."

"Don't call me shorty," Rose shot back at him, her head snapping around at his. "My height is perfectly fine, thank you very much."

"Whatever you say, shorty," said Obi-Wan with a yawn. Rose shot him a death glare - one he could feel through his hood. "If you can call me dork, I can call you shorty."

"But you are a dork. I'm not short - I'm fun-sized," Rose corrected him with a growl. "There's a difference."

"Right, my mistake, it seems," he said with a light chuckle.

"Guess I'll take first watch," Rose ignored his bantering and went back to work. She worked diligently, but was sure to keep her eyes and ears open. Occasionally, she thought she heard the low growl of something lurking in the shadows or the snap of a branch below her. Deciding it wasn't going to do him any good while he was unconscious, Rose carefully unhooked Qui-Gon's saber from his belt and kept it close by her side in case she should need it. The night had grown still, sending uncomfortable chills down Rose's spine. Her people had regarded this as the "Quiet Time" - a period when the whole forest would go silent until morning. It was when the largest predators hunted - a time Rose was dreading since they had landed.

Rose swallowed her fear and worked quicker, her fingers beginning to fumble over the small parts. This time around, she found it easier to see how the different pieces fit together, but found it annoying when she had to stop and pound dents out of a part that had been smashed by the boulders. As her only tool, Rose had used the hilt of her knife to try and smooth out the metal pieces, a gash in her hand forming from the scraping of the blade against her palm. She frowned as she looked at the pieces in front of her.

"Oi, dork. Wake up," Rose said, shaking Obi-Wan awake. He stirred for a moment before propping himself up.

"You rang?" he yawned, reaching a hand up to rub his eyes.

"Were these the only parts you found?" Rose asked, still searching around the pieces with her eyes.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I'm missing a part for one of these," Rose said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "One of the crystal mounts - it isn't here."

"Well, I picked up all the parts I saw," Obi-Wan said, his eyes glancing over the metal fragments. "Guess you'll have to improvise."

"Improvise?" Rose echoed venomously. The other padawan was taken aback by the ferocity in which she spat out her words at him, and a feeling of fear tingled at him as he saw her eyes light up with tints of fury. "One of the most powerful hand held weapons a person can have, and you want me to fucking improvise with one of the parts to this thing?"

"Well, you always did like a challenge," Obi-Wan pointed out. "I don't know - put something in there to hold it in place that can withstand the heat."

"Where in the blazes am I going to get something that could -" Rose stopped for a moment. Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, but Rose held up a finger, silencing him immediately. Quietly, Rose picked up Qui-Gon's lightsaber, ready to draw it. The scraping of claws against something confirmed Rose's fear: whatever it was that was hunting them, it finally caught up.

Silently standing up, Rose moved over closer to the fire, her eyes darting everywhere at once. The light crackle of the fire filled the air, only drowned out by the occasional scraping sound. A low growl came from her right, but when Rose turned to face it, the mystery creature had disappeared. Obi-Wan came and stood next to her, their backs together as they stared out into the darkness, looking for any sign of life.

"This isn't right," Rose mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked, eyes still on the darkness.

"If it was something that was going to eat us, it would've by now," Rose hissed. "Come out, ya scaredy cats. I know you're out there."

A rustle behind them startled Obi-Wan, but when he looked over at Rose, he saw no emotion on her face except for a solid frown etched in stone. Three figures emerged from unseen places. Rose assumed two of them climbed from below and one from above based on the way they approached.

"State your business on Varia," one said, presumably the leader. He spoke in the native tongue of the planet, sealing Obi-Wan from the conversation.

"We crash landed a long distance away from here. Just need a ship and medicine and we'll be out of your hair," Rose replied blandly, her eyes steady on the tall man in front of her. She noticed the markings on his arm and how they seemed to flex with his muscles. He stared her up and down for a moment before nodding to the other two men, who each grabbed an arm of Qui-Gon. The leader snuffed out the fire and spoke to Rose and Obi-Wan in the common tongue.

"Follow," he ordered. Rose's eyes never left his retreating figure. After swooping down and picking up their materials, Rose followed him down the side of the tree, Obi-Wan close in suit. Carefully making their way back down, Rose saw the ship they had come in that was parked a few branches down. They all climbed in, the two padawans sitting on either side of Qui-Gon as the ship took off.

"What's going on?" Obi-Wan whispered into Rose's ear.

"I'm handling it," Rose snapped back. "I think." One of the men swiveled around and faced them, his dark hair blowing in the breeze.

"Need something?" asked Rose, unamused. His eyes laughed at her own.

"Not a thing," he smirked. "You're those Jedi, aren't you?"

"What's it to you?" Rose hissed. Obi-Wan put a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think it would bode well for us if we taunt the people who rescued us," he cautioned, but Rose just shrugged his grip off.

"Don't call it rescuing just yet," the ship rose above the treeline just as dawn was approaching. Obi-Wan looked out the side of the craft and down into a canyon below, the roots of surrounding trees spilling into the chasm.

"What a beautiful planet," Obi-Wan murmured quietly. In the distance, he could just barely make out what seemed to be huts suspended in the trees, vast bridges connecting them together. As they moved closer and the thick fog cleared out, he saw a grand tree that hovered far over any he had seen since they had landed on the planet. Faint lights came from outcoves everywhere, and as they neared the treetop village, the curious eyes of villagers landed on them.

"Welcome to Tarumba."


	15. Chapter 15: Grand Old Tree

The craft came to a gentle halt and the two padawans pulled their hoods over their faces. Obi-Wan helped Rose as they were ushered quickly out, the two men propping up Qui-Gon and taking him to a nearby medical hutt. Obi-Wan moved to follow them, but Rose grabbed his arm.

"Don't worry, Kenobi," she said gently. "They know what to do." He looked at her with worried eyes, but was surprised to be met with her soft green orbs. She cleared her throat and dropped her hand from his.

"You two love birds finished?" The brown-haired man teased. He nodded his head towards a long, suspended bridge, and the two padawans followed after him. The gentle swaying of the bridge with every step unnerved them as they cautiously stepped from plank to plank, careful not to look down at the freefall below. Instead, their eyes were set on the elegant archway that was carved in the massive tree before them, extravagant engravings etched around the entrance in fantastic arrays that were lined with shimmering gold. Vines of every size hung from the branches above, and twinkling lights appeared to be suspended in the air.

"Lot bigger than I remember," Rose muttered. The three entered the great hall, surrounded on either side by the poised statues of past kings and queens of Varia carved from a blue stone, their crystal eyes staring back emotionless.

"They call me Boomer," the brown-haired boy explained. "What brings a bunch of Jedi out this far from the ritzy livings of Coruscant?"

"Just business," Rose cut in before Obi-Wan could say anything. "Say, where are you taking us, anyway?"

"To meet Her Majesty, of course," he said nonchalantly. "Unlike some past rulers, she actually enjoys guests. Says she even wants to lift the isolation policy or whatever and join the Republic - finally get some allies in this damn universe."

"Join the Republic?" Obi-Wan asked. "We've been trying to do that since the Republic was even formed!" They were led up a spiralling wood staircase that was lined with more suspended lights that casted a warm glow against the grain.

"And anyone can just walk up to the Queen and ask for an audience?" Rose asked skeptically. Boomer raised an eyebrow at her before throwing his head back in a snarky laugh.

"Not just anyone - only the real important ones," he said with a smirk. Rose and Obi-Wan looked at each other and continued up the seemingly never-ending staircase, their feet growing sore as they reached the top. Two guards were positioned on either side of a grand door, weapons in hand as they protected against intruders. With the flick of his wrist, Boomer commanded the doors to be opened, and when they were, Rose peered into the most beautiful room she had ever seen: two rose gold thrones were stationed at the far side of the room with long, black carpets leading up to them. On either side, windows had been carved out of the tree that allowed morning light to spill in between the lavish white drapes that hung from ceiling to floor. Above their heads, Rose could see entire scenes carved into the domed ceiling, painted with small birds ready to fly. On either side of them lie lush gardens with small critters and birds roaming about them, their presence undisturbed by the new guests. Rose noticed how each step they took seemed to echo throughout the entire room, lightly resonating in her ear drums. Rich aromas of savory meats filled the air, and from behind one of the many wooden pillars that supported such an architectural feat, Rose saw a woman domed in a flowing, white gown speaking with an official-looking man. Her iridescent eyes shone out green, and, just for a moment, Rose thought she saw a hint of panic glow in them. She composed herself in an instant and let her face relax into a beautiful smile, coming to welcome them with joyful eyes. Her pale hair hung about her, as white as the dress she wore.

"I see you bring friends, my son," she spoke. Her voice sang out like that of an angel's, fluctuating perfectly with each word. "Welcome, friends. Welcome to Tarumba - the capital city of Varia. I see from your weapons and robes that you must be of the Jedi Council, correct?"

"Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you," Obi-Wan said with a deep bow. Rose copied his movement rigidly, her eyes never leaving the Queen's. "My friend and I crashed and we seek supplies to get us back to the Inner Core."

"I see," the Queen pursed her lips. "That can all be arranged, but in turn I must ask something of you," her eyes narrowed onto Rose, observing every aspect of the young one. Eventually, they fell to her arm.

"Are you injured, child?" she asked kindly. Rose, momentarily confused, cleared her throat and shifted her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. When she followed the monarch's gaze to her wrapped arm, she gave a quick laugh and scratched the back of her head nervously.

"No, Majesty. Just, uh, some ugly scars," Rose's voice wavered and Obi-Wan gave her a weird look.

"What an awful liar," Boomer quipped from the sideline. His mother flinched slightly at his voice, and even Obi-Wan couldn't deny the growing tension in the room.

"Very well. Suit yourself. You both must be tired after your journey. My handmaiden shall show you to your temporary quarters and give you a fresh set of clothes. The city is free for you to roam about," the Queen waved her hand and her eyes grew distant as she glided away, the long train of her white gown trailing after her.

"You look awful, Rose," Obi-Wan whispered into Rose's ear as they were once again led down unfamiliar halls.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi: the flatterer," Rose huffed back. The handmaiden handed each of them a key and pointed at a door before disappearing around a hall. The two padawans unlocked the door to the splendor of their temporary living quarters. The beds were covered in a white silk covering and a set of translucent white drapes hung over a magnificent window. From their room, they had a view of the entire canopy village. Rose let out a low whistle before a knock at the door sounded. The handmaiden had returned with a pile of clothing in her hand, and, after laying them on one of the beds, she made her departure with a small bow. Obi-Wan moved towards the pile and began sorting the clothing, throwing small garbs in Rose's direction.

"What is all of this?" he asked, holding up a white tunic.

"Traditional wear," Rose explained, examining her own dress. "Lightweight and cool. The temperatures here can get almost unbearable with the canopy trapping the heat and all. Goal is to wear as little as possible while also showing as little as possible." Rose laughed a little as she looked down at the dress. "For a people that value humility over everything else, the royals sure know how to live large."

"Everything about this place seems like a dream," Obi-Wan reflected, sitting on the bed. "Almost like if I were to touch something the wrong way, it would all come crumbling down, you know?"

"It's too perfect. It's just a façade. What the old man would always say, at least."

"What was he like? Your father, I mean."

"Well," began Rose. "Honestly, the man would probably make a better Jedi than I would. He was just… goodness, ya know? Smartest man I knew. Always knew what to say and when to say it. I used to think there wasn't a problem he couldn't fix."

"What happened to him?"

"Just kinda… disappeared one day. I don't know. People said he went crazy right before he left - said he lost his cool," Rose stretched with a yawn. "Doesn't bother me anymore. Used to, but not anymore. Anyway," Rose said, moving towards the bed.

"Rose, what are you doing?" Obi-Wan curiously eyed her as she grabbed a single pillow from the bed and threw it on the ground. She laid down with her head on top of it and closed her eyes. "Rose, stop that. Get off the floor, it's filthy!"

"It's all too soft," she said quietly. She pulled her robe tighter around her body, settling into the cold floor. "I haven't slept for days, Obi-Wan. I'm going to stay behind and catch up on some sleep. You can go run around the town or something. Try not to get arrested."

"I'm offended you would even have such a notion in your head," he remarked, walking around a changing screen, throwing off his old garments and putting on the bland, white tunic. It was lightweight, but the fabric was soft against his skin, a stark contrast to the normal itchy texture of his Jedi robes.

"How do I look?" he asked, emerging from behind the screen. Rose sat up for a moment, looked him head to toe, grunted, and then laid back down.

"Almost like a true Varian," she muttered. "Just missing a little piece."

"And what's that?"

"You aren't all tatted up like the rest of us are."

"Speaking of tattoos," he said, seating himself beside her. "Why'd you lie to the Queen about yours?"

"I don't really know," Rose said, trying to ignore a throbbing headache. "You know that feeling you get when you don't think you should trust someone even without ever meeting 'em before? Well, dear Queenie was giving me weird looks when I walked in. She knows somethin' that she isn't telling us." Obi-Wan sat for a moment, stroking his chin. He looked down at his partner who was face-down in the pillow, her eyes closed. He could sense her anxiety, but couldn't see any reason why she wouldn't have wanted to come back to Varia. He lifted his hand as if to put it on her back in reassurance but stopped as he was just inches away, bit his lip, and then moved his hand back down to his side. He saw the bead he had given to her the day she left the Temple six years ago, its simple etchings still noticeable against her hair.

"You kept it after all of these years," he whispered. He lifted his hand as if to touch it, but stopped himself again, deciding against it. Quietly, he left the room. Rose only stirred slightly, already somewhere far, far away.

In and out she fell - a battle of consciousness and unconsciousness. The cold wood floor beneath her now felt hot, as if her skin were burning on contact. The one soft pillow turned to stone as the sounds of falling water filled her ears. Rose felt the hard contact of the ground beneath her and wetness falling down her face. She slowly became aware of her surroundings and how the faint glow of crystals reflected off of a multitude of waterfalls that rang throughout an unfamiliar cave system. Her body was wet and cold, and when she looked down, she felt as if her stomach were doing somersaults inside her. Staring back at her were the cold eyes of -

Rose's eyes shot open. The midday sun streamed in through the curtains along with a light breeze. She felt the sweat running down her back and forehead as her chest heaved raggedly. With the back of her hand, she wiped the sweat off her brow and pushed herself off the floor, throwing the pillow back on the bed in the process. She grabbed the dress the handmaiden had left for her off of the bed and changed into it, folding her Jedi robes neatly on the bed. Reaching for the bag that contained her broken sabers, Rose headed out the door of the chambers, no longer wishing to be confined to the solitude of the room.

The halls outside their quarters were empty spare a few guards talking at the staircase. Rose gave a small nod of acknowledgement as she wound even farther down the stairs to the main floor where they had first entered the grand tree. The twinkling lights were replaced by the natural lights the carved windows of the tree offered, and a nice cross breeze seemed to swirl around the core and up the inside. The sprawling branches overhead covered against the sun's rays as Rose left the gates.

"Going somewhere, little lady?" she heard Boomer's voice from behind her. He was sitting on a nearby bench while eating some kind of fruit. It was apparent he was expecting her.

"I need parts to fix something. Where can a girl find a vendor?" Rose asked, holding up her bag. Boomer tapped his chin for a moment with his forefinger before nodding his head off in a direction, indicating to Rose that she should follow him.

"They're stationed all over the Hub," he said with another bite. "Er, the Hub is what we call the central market place," he quickly explained. "Say, where's your boyfriend? Thought you two were stickin' together."

"Not my boyfriend," Rose corrected. "Jedi don't form attachments."

"Wait, wait, wait. You all can't form attachments, but you're supposed to be compassionate, right? How the blazes does that work?"

"When I figure it out, you'll be the first to know," Rose admitted.

"Is this why you're so cold all the time?"

"I'm not cold."

"Could have fooled me," Boomer said as he finished his fruit. He threw it over the railing of the wooden bridge to the jungle floor below. "I don't think you mean to be cold. Just sorta come off as a bit of a bitch is all."

"Seems to keep the people who like to pry out," Rose threw back. "People like you."

"Why, I would almost be offended if I didn't know you didn't mean that. Say, I don't think I caught your name."

"Rose."

"Just Rose?"

"Just Rose," the two came up on the weapons vendor. While he was busy helping another customer, Rose looked around his collection of parts, searching for one she could use to replace the missing part in her saber. After a couple of minutes of searching, the vendor came over to her, his belly shaking as he talked.

"What can I do fer ye, young 'un? Lookin' fer a new weapon? Missin' part?"

"I'm looking for this part," Rose said, holding up the crystal mount part she still had. The vendor took it in between his grubby fingers and peered at it through his monocle before disappearing into a nearby hut. Rose heard the faint clinking and clattering of metal until he emerged again, a small frown on his face.

"I'm afraid I don' carry that part. Sold me last one not too long ago. I'll tell yer what, though. There be a special metal in de caves nearby that these here mounts are made of. What'cha got yerself here is a crystal mount for one of them glowy sabers the Jedi use. Only e're seen a few of these in me day. If ye can get me the metal, I can make ye a new one in no time. Just need the materials." Rose nodded.

"I'll get it. Just point me in the right direction and I'll find it," she said. The vendor handed her a map and drew out the landscape for her. The cave was only slightly north of the Grand Tree.

"Looks like an adventure," Boomer said with a smirk. "Thanks, Poppers. I owe ya this time," Boomer threw the vendor a few credits and ushered Rose away from the gracious Poppers.

"I need to find Obi-Wan," Rose began.

"Ah, who needs him," Boomer insisted. "I'm much more fun than he is. Seems like a bore to me, really."

"He's not boring," Rose defended. "He's a bit of a dork, but he isn't boring. You were the one bagging on me for being cold earlier, so here's me not being cold. I'm the hottest Jedi this side of the galaxy!"

"Yes, yes you are," Boomer smirked. For a moment, Rose thought she felt something stir in her stomach - as if something were trying to escape and be free. She quickly swallowed it down and started walking towards the hospital bay - the one place she could assume Obi-Wan was.

"I'm not going in those damn caves without my partner," she growled. She heard his grunt as he followed behind her like a puppy. Through the Force, she could feel his annoyance quite clearly, but there was something more than just annoyance in him: something that made her afraid.


End file.
